Spirits and Fairies
by PingThePong
Summary: Fairy Tail is dwindling. The loss of its most powerful mages left the once powerful guild a shell of it former self. Lucy Heartfilia is determined to bring back the spirit her guild has lost. Mysteries of the spirits she holds dear surround her as she strives to restore Fairy Tail to prominence.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 The Job

 _Now I've got you, you stupid rock._

Lucy's grip tightened around the jagged stone in her thick, padded gloves as she wrenched it free from the mountainside. It had taken all day, three near-death experiences, and about thirty minutes of self-motivation inside of Horologium, but she had finally managed to get a piece of the mountaintop ore. Looking at the stone in her glove, she couldn't believe that someone was willing to pay 1,000,000 jewel for a necklace made of the stuff but who was she to complain? Their rock was her rent, and many months of it at that. She took her soon to be Jewel and slipped it into the pouch she had tied around her neck.

 _Ok Lucy, you got the thing, now we just need to get down. Not a problem. Once we get off this gaping crevice we're dangling over, everything will turn out great._

Struggling to hold herself in place, Lucy grimaced at the sight below her. Nothing but a dark blue pit that somehow managed to look hungry. Lucy looked at her hands pressed against the mountainside and shuffled her feet behind her to better hold herself across the gap. She had no clue what had possessed her to lean over the abyss to grab the ore, leaving herself nearly horizontal and supported by nothing but the strength from her feet and hands.

 _I guess those idiots' recklessness rubbed off on me. Thank the stars nobody's around to see this._ She thought as she readjusted her grip.

"Alright, on 3. Just visualize it. No hounding from the landlady, no leftovers from the guild for dinner. Just cold hard cash for months. Ok. 1… 2….3!"

Lucy mustered her strength and pushed with all the force she could against the rocky summit. She felt herself rock backwards as she nearly stood on the ledge separated from the mountainside. Then she slowly began to fall forward, managing to catch herself over the waiting abyss. The wind picked up around her, and brought forth an eerie high-pitched whine from the passage beneath her. It echoed around the pit, creating a disjointed cacophony of whistles that came together to form a dreadful laughter, as though the mountain itself were taunting her failed efforts to escape.

 _Ok, well that's a lovely description, brain of mine. But now is most definitely_ not _the time for it,_ Lucy thought as her writer's mind came out in full-force. _One more time. Here… we… Go!_

Again, Lucy launched herself off the mountainside. And again, she fell back into her precarious perch. And again. And again. And once more for good measure. All the while, the mountain continued its ridicule.

"Stupid mountain! Quit laughing and do something you dumb pile of rocks!" Lucy shouted in frustration as she fell once again. Apparently the mountain took exception to that. An enormous crack shattered the whistling from the crevice, and Lucy strained her neck to look up from where she held herself prone. A massive wall of white was bearing down on her, and the sound of thunder growing ever closer as it approached.

"Anything but that!" Lucy screamed as she tried to hold herself up with one hand, the other frantically reaching for the keys at her hip. Grabbing all of them just to be safe, she shouted "Virgo!" praying that it would work without holding her maid's key specifically. Her prayers were answered as her mild-mannered maid appeared behind her in a flash of light.

"Punishment, Princess?" Virgo deadpanned.

"No time talk! Must Run! Get us out of here!" Lucy shrieked in panic as the avalanche loomed down on her.

"Of course Princess. Please hang on tight," Virgo instructed as she yanked Lucy away from the crevice. Holding Lucy over her shoulder lack a sack of flour, the pink-haired maid braced against the snow beneath her, legs tightening as she prepared to move. In her panic, Lucy didn't notice what Virgo was doing until it was too late.

"Wait! I meant dig a hole! Dig a-!" Whatever else she said was lost to the wind as Virgo sprinted down the mountain full speed. Lucy clung to the hem of the maid's skirt as she was jostled and maidhandled down the hill at lightning speed. Between Virgo's strides, Lucy managed to see the avalanche vanishing in the distance as her spirit sped them away. Her brief relief at the sight was interrupted as Virgo landed at the bottom of the hill, a cloud of dust and dirt billowing out around her.

"We have reached the bottom of the mountain, Princess. I believe we will be safe here." Virgo announced as she placed Lucy on the ground. Lucy wobbled around, attempting to find her balance after the rough ride. She managed to make it to a nearby tree, placing her hand on it for balance.

"Virgo next time, please just dig a- hmmph!" Her instructions were lost again as her lunch made an unwanted reappearance. Grabbing the tree for support, Lucy knelt and was forced to relive the entire ride down the mountain again as her stomach protested the rough treatment. After ten minutes of hurling out expletives and half-eaten sandwiches, Lucy walked back to her spirit who stood patiently awaiting her Princess.

"Are you feeling better now, Princess?" Virgo asked.

 _She's definitely being sarcastic, right? Nobody's that much of a deadpan._ Lucy thought as she looked at her maid's face for any trace of a smirk or twitch of a muscle that would indicate a joke. But Virgo's face was just a picture a quiet concern and empathy.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Plus I got the thing for the mission! I'm gonna be rich!" Lucy shouted, excitement overwhelming her urge to flush out her maid's sense of sarcasm.

"That's wonderful, Princess. Now you won't have to beg rent money off of your guildmates, and you can finally eat real food." Virgo said with a caring smile.

"Virgo… please go home."

"Of course Princess. Until next time." Virgo disappeared with another flash of golden light, leaving Lucy alone at the base of the mountain.

 _She was definitely messing with me._ Lucy thought to herself as she began her return trip to Crocus, absentmindedly fingering the pouch around her neck.

* * *

Three hours of walking later Lucy arrived at her destination in Crocus; a high-end jewelry store in the upscale central part of the city. A wide array of jewelry, each piece worth more than most people would earn in a lifetime, decorated the windowed displays facing the street. As she strolled in to the store, the small tinkle of a bell announced her arrival and she garnered stares from all the wealthy patrons of the shop.

"What, you've never seen mountain climbing gear before?" Lucy asked the room with an annoyed huff. Startled by her abrasiveness, the clientele quickly returned to perusing the store, pretending to be more interested in the pretty adornments rather than the strangely dressed girl in their midst. And to be fair, Lucy did stick out. She sported thick snowpants held up by suspenders over a white wool sweater. Over her shoulder was a large black parka with her gloves packed into its pockets, and a thick cap decorated her head. Around her neck was the large leather pouch she carried the mountain ore in. She clomped up to the clerk's counter in a pair of black snow boots and rang a small bell, hoping the manger would come quickly so she could get back to her hotel and take a long bath.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, a door behind the counter opened to reveal a wrinkled old man avidly polishing something in his hands with a cloth. He had a thick, bushy mustache with laugh lines around the corner of his mouth. The top of his head was bald, yet a thick ring of messy hair surrounded the great plain atop his skull. All in all, Lucy felt he was what the Celestial Spirit King would look like if he was a human. Seeing Lucy, the man's eyes lit up and he placed whatever he had been working on onto the counter.

"Miss Heartfilia!" He cried, stepping around the counter to shake her hand. "You're back already? It's only been a day since you left!"

Lucy heard somebody gasp behind her as the manager casually threw out her last name. Lucy didn't attach any significance to her family's heritage, but the wealthy customers behind her certainly did. Ignoring the piercing stares pointed at her back, Lucy returned the managers greeting with a smile.

"That's just Fairy Tail service for you." Lucy said. The man was obviously excited to start working on his newest project, and Lucy couldn't help but grin as he bounced on the balls of his feet waiting for her delivery. Reaching into the pouch around her neck, she pulled out the ore and held it proudly in front of the jeweler. "I hope it's enough. As much as I enjoyed climbing a mountain I'd really prefer not to have to do it again."

"I should say so! But out here's no place for shoptalk. Come, come. Let's go to the back. I'll make you some tea to pick you up and we can get down to business." He walked through the back door he had come out of, motioning for Lucy to follow. She followed closing the door behind her. Looking around the room she was amazed at all the equipment surrounding her. Tools of all shapes and sizes were orderly placed on various tables around the edges of the room. On the walls were diagrams of minerals and ores, labeled with what she assumed were each's properties. In the center was a small round table with four chairs around it, presumably for talking with clients. All in all, Lucy was impressed. She may not have known what any of the tools were used for, but she could certainly appreciate the skill the old man must have had to make any sense of what she was looking at. As she gazed around, the manager came out from another room carrying two cups of steaming tea.

"Now let's sit down. You have some tea and I'll take a look at what you've brought me." The man said, placing the tea down at the center table. Lucy handed over the ore and gratefully sat down. Her feet ached tremendously from all the activity of the day. Walking back from the mountain had felt nearly as bad as going up the thing. The manager went to one of the tables around the rim of the room and shuffled around it for a few moments. Seeming to find what he wanted, he returned with a set of magnifying goggles with lenses of all sizes sticking out. He sat down, strapped the goggles to his face and proceeded to inspect the ore while Lucy drank her tea.

Lucy watched with interest as he went to work. The bubbly man who had made her tea had been replaced with a man of quiet focus who expertly handled the ore in front of him. He turned the ore this way and that, occasionally switching the size of the lenses on is eyes. Lucy patiently waited for him to finish his work, despite her fatigue. If there was one thing she was grateful to her father for, it was teaching her how to maintain her outer composure no matter what situation she was in. At the guild hall she didn't have to hide how she really felt, but it certainly was handy when dealing with clients. Finally, the manager took off his goggles and laid them and the stone on the table. He looked at Lucy, and her heart sank. His expression was grim, and his eyes were narrowed with worry.

"Well Miss Heartfilia, I have good news and bad news for you." He intoned. Lucy was all business on the outside, but inside she was experiencing every emotion under the sun. _What could be wrong?! I know that's the right ore! Please don't make me go back up that mountain. I know, he's probably trying to play me. Yeah, that's it. Nobody makes it in Crocus if they don't have some business sense. I bet he's going to say it's low quality so he can't pay me the whole request for it. Well I've got news for you pal, you're not the only one who can play this game._ Confident that she had figured out his ploy, Lucy put on a concerned face before asking what the good news was.

"The good news is that this is some very high quality stuff you brought back. Couldn't have picked it better myself."

"Oh." Lucy was stunned by his answer. _Well then what the heck is he trying to pull here?_

"The bad news, and please don't be alarmed when I tell you this." The manager's face was the picture of seriousness, and his tone was grave and solemn.

"Let's just hear it," Lucy said, despairing on the inside as her dreams of warm food and paid rent slowly floated away.

"Miss Heartfilia, you have brought me far, far too much ore for the piece I need it for. I can't possibly pay you for the entire value of what you've brought me."

"…That's it?"

"Quite unfortunate, but it's the truth."

Lucy couldn't believe her luck. Not only was she in the clear for the job request, but here was a chance to get a Fairy Tail on a wealthy client's good list. Nearly losing her outward composure with excitement, she leaned forward conspiratorially towards the store manager, and said with a smile "We sir, today's your lucky day. Has Fairy Tail got a deal for you."

* * *

As she slid into the inn's bed that night, Lucy couldn't wipe off the massive grin she'd sported since leaving the jewelry shop. The kind old man's eyes had nearly popped out of his head when she'd offered him all the extra ore free of charge, so long as he considered Fairy Tail for his next request. Lucy had not only gotten the correct ore, but also ensured a wealthy patron for Fairy Tail in the future. All in all, Lucy considered the day a huge success.

 _Now all that's left to do is pick up the necklace, give it to the client and I'm swimming in rent for years!_ The jeweler had told her the necklace would take about a week to finish properly. Lucy was shocked that he could complete such an expensive piece so quickly, but he was the jeweler the client had requested so she wouldn't complain. As long as she got paid and spread Fairy Tail's good name Lucy really couldn't care less how he went about making his jewels.

The next question nagging on Lucy's mind was how to spend the next week. She really didn't feel like catching a train back to Magnolia. It was too much for fare, and seeing her last name plastered on every train car gave her a headache. However cold her relationship with her father, she was considerably impressed with his business acumen. He'd pulled himself up from bankruptcy back to a railway mogul in little more than two years. She just wished the man would calm down with the branding. Being the daughter of the man controlling transportation in Fiore really didn't help with the whole "normal person lifestyle" she was trying to lead. _It doesn't matter Lucy. Just focus on the job. Get it done, go home, do the next one, repeat. In fact, why not start tomorrow? I bet there's some odd jobs around Crocus I could do._

It was certainly a reasonable plan. Paying her rent the month before had left her with barely enough money to afford the fare for a trip to Crocus. With a firm goal in mind, Lucy laid down and closed her eyes, hoping that sleep would come quickly. It had taken awhile, but she'd finally started sleeping normally again, and her fatigue from the day's exertions quickly beckoned her towards unconsciousness. Eight gold and five silver keys lay on her bedside table, glowing softly as Lucy finally fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 A Chance Encounter

"Let's see here. Too much effort. Not worth the pay. Now who in their right mind would do that…" Lucy mumbled to herself as she perused the request board in front of her. Crocus hustled and bustled around the mage as she stood in the town square. Food stands lined the perimeter of the square, and the owners were loudly hawking their wares to all passerby. In the center stood a large marble fountain, and sunlight sparkled off the spray, every so often forming a fleeting rainbow. A group of children stood at the edge of the fountain, gazing longingly at the water. Passerby laughed as one of the more adventurous ones attempted to jump in, only to be roughly yanked back by his waiting mother. Lucy stood at the southern end of the square, looking at the board pinned on the police station. All manner of jobs were posted, from finding lost pets to investigating hauntings. Most were rather simple and low-paying jobs, as anything more difficult would have been submitted to an actual guild.

 _Hmm, there's got to be something simple in here for a little pocket money._ Lucy thought as she scanned over the cluttered request sheets. Finally, one of them caught her eye.

Help Wanted

Need Able-bodied Workers for Unloading Merchandise

Magic not Required

Those Interested Please Come to Sid's Magic Shop

Hourly Pay- 1,000 J

Lunch Provided

At the bottom of the page was the shop's address, indicating it was located in the residential shopping district. _That'll work_. She thought as she took the request from the board. Half skipping and half walking, Lucy made her way towards the shop, hoping that the provided lunch would be more than just a slice of bread or unsatisfying morsel. A slight wind rustled the sleeves of her loose-fitting jacket, and she was thankful she had decided to wear a pair of jeans rather than a skirt. Wearing a skirt to a manual labor job would be pretty weird anyway. Winding through streets and pedestrians alike, she meandered towards her destination in no particular rush; she simply took in the city. The shouts of storeowners, the shrieks and laughter of children, the cawing of birds that lined the building roofs or wrestled for bread scraps around benches; everything was alive and reveling in its life. Somewhere close the cracking of wooden wheels on cobblestones could be heard, as a carriage carrying goods or possibly a noble drove its way through the crowds. A soft smile showed on her face as she swam through the crowds. _It's been a while since I just walked like this_. She thought pensively. For the past two years, her life had been consumed my taking as many requests as possible. Even with her backbreaking pace, most of her money went back into the guild. Breaks and relaxation were a no-no if she wanted to bring back Fairy Tail's image as one of the strongest guilds in Fiore. And speaking of no breaks…

Lucy glanced at the building in front of her, confirmed the address and walked into the shop. All sorts of trinkets lined the shelves, from color change magics to magical firecrackers. A cursory look towards the back of the shop left Lucy slightly disappointed as she saw there were no silver keys she didn't already possess. Approaching the front desk with paper in hand she met the gaze of the man manning it. Her first impression was of a furless bear in an apron. He was a large and intimidating person, with a rough graying beard and muscles rippling everywhere. He wore his apron over a sleeveless shirt as though to emphasize the fact that his arms looked more like trees than any human limb. He looked more like the security guards that followed her father's friends around rather than a humble shop owner. But, never one to judge on appearances, Lucy threw on her best disarming smile and approached the human boulder with the paper in hand.

"Hi there! Are you Sid? I'm here about the unloading request." Lucy said in a chipper voice, holding out the request form. The man's eyes widened briefly as he saw her, then narrowed as he appraised Lucy without a word, only taking the form from her hands. Undaunted, Lucy met his gaze evenly and with her smile plastered on her face, hoping to get him to at least tell her if he actually was the owner. After ten seconds of the two staring at each other, the man sighed.

"Yes, I'm Sid," he answered in a gravelly voice. "And are you sure you're up for this blondie? Some of these boxes are a hundred, hundred fifty pounds. If you can't even move them you won't be much help to me."

"Oh don't worry about me. I can handle a few boxes." Lucy answered with the same cheery voice, though she could feel her blood pressure rising to the point where it felt like she'd pop a vein. There weren't many things Lucy really hated, but being called blondie and underestimated because of her appearance were definitely up there.

"Well I hope so," Sid said before turning and walking around the desk out into the store. Despite her anger, Lucy couldn't help but be impressed by the man's size as he motioned her to follow towards a door in the back. He stood almost two heads taller than her, and was at least three times as wide. She couldn't help but ponder why a guy his size would want help unloading boxes. He looked like he could pick up the whole store by himself if he wanted to. Opening the back door, he led Lucy into a small warehouse behind the store. Two stacks of shelves rose to the ceiling on either side of the wall, extending from the door they just passed through to the other side of the building where a large garage door stood opened to the outside. Boxes full of gizmos, toys, and tools sat neatly across all of them. Lucy peered at each of them as Sid led her towards the open end of the room, and was surprised to find everything was very neatly arranged by product, with labels describing their marketability to his customers. _I guess Mr. Judgy here runs a pretty tight ship_ , Lucy thought.

Sid walked them out back, where stacks of boxes sat waiting for someone to move them inside. Doing a quick guesstimation, Lucy put their number at seventy or eighty. Not a ton, but certainly a good day's work if Sid had told her the actual weight of the boxes.

"So here's your boxes." Sid explained. "There are product labels on each one, and they'll have matching ones on the shelves. All you've gotta do is put the boxes on the shelves with their matching labels, then tally them up on this clipboard for inventory," Sid instructed as he handed over a clipboard full of different product names.

"Sounds simple enough." Lucy answered, moving towards the pile of boxes. Reading the label on the nearest one, she saw it was a box of light lacrimas. Hopping up, she walked back inside to find their assigned spot, leaving the clipboard next to it so she could mark it after moving the box. Walking back towards the lacrimas, Lucy stretched out her arms and shoulders before she actually got down to work. Bending down to pick up the box, her jacket flapped noisily in the wind, determined to make its presence known. Slightly annoyed, Lucy took it off and threw it against the outside wall of the warehouse before easily lifting up the box and transporting it into the warehouse. She set the box in its new home and marked it down on her clipboard. Moving to repeat the process, she noticed Sid staring at her with an intense gaze and what she thought was the tiniest smile on his face. Glancing down she realized she was only in a tank-top and her jeans, leaving little to the imagination. _Oh for crying out loud. Why does this always work when I'm_ not _trying to get anything out of them?_ Lucy thought.

"What, is something wrong?" Lucy asked, doing her best to keep any venom out of her voice.

"Nothing, nothing. You've got some surprisingly nice muscles there blondie." Sid answered with an air of gruff approval. "Couldn't see 'em in the store 'cause of your jacket."

"Oh, uh… thanks." Lucy answered, slightly dumbfounded. She'd had men ogle her body before, but never just her muscles. Sid certainly was an odd one although truthfully, Lucy was flattered. Her endless string of missions had toned up all her muscles, and she was fitter than she'd ever been in her life. Having someone acknowledge that, even if it was some random shopkeeper, put her in the mood to get more work done. "Well I've got this taken care of," she told Sid, picking up one of the larger boxes. "I'll let you know when I'm done."

Sid nodded, turning back towards the store. "Thanks. I'll have lunch ready for you in an hour or so." With that, he strolled back into his store, leaving Lucy to take care of the mountain of boxes in front of her. For the next hour she kept up a solid pace, checking and moving boxes to their proper places until she'd worked up a good sweat. It felt good to do simple, easy work every once in a while. No avalanches, falling boulders, or deadly mages gunning for her life. By the time Sid came out carrying a plate of what looked like chicken breasts Lucy was in a great mood, humming to herself as she moved her latest crate.

"Lunch, blondie. Chicken and water. Nothing special but it'll fill ya up." Sid said as he handed her a full plate and fork.

Lucy took a bite and wasn't shocked to find that Sid wasn't kidding. It was just a cooked chicken with some salt on it. But, who was she to complain. Her last real meal had been some leftover sandwiches from the guild the night before she'd headed to Crocus. A full meal like this, however plain, was a welcome addition to her day.

"Thanks. Oh, and it's Lucy by the way." Lucy said before taking another mouthful of chicken.

"Right then. Let me know when you're done and I'll have your pay," he answered. "Oh, and you're going to have some company until you're done. Be nice." On that note, he returned to the store again.

"Well he certainly doesn't mince words does he?" Lucy said to herself through a mouthful of poultry. "Wonder who this company is." Sitting down against the wall, Lucy scarfed down the rest of her meal, waiting for whoever Sid had mentioned to arrive. Hopefully they would actually help out, and not find a way to blow everything up. If Natsu and them were here, this whole store might be gone by now. A sad smile crept onto her face as she imagined Natsu and Gray fighting over something stupid, before being brutally brought in line by Erza. Wendy would've been trying to calm them down and Carla would just call everyone a reprobate or something. Happy'd probably say something like, "No wonder Lucy can lift those boxes; they're nowhere close to how much she weighs."

"Heh, stupid cat." Lucy said, grinning at the antics of her teammates that weren't even there.

"Um, excuse me. Wh-what cat?" A small voice stuttered out from behind her.

Snapping out her of reverie, Lucy turned to find who had heard her telling off the Exceed. She looked up to find a young girl, no more than twelve, standing next to her with a confused look on her face. Silver hair framed her face in a bob style, and she wore a shirt and pants that were clearly too large for her. They hung down off her, and Lucy worried that she'd trip over the pants if she walked too fast. But, the loose clothes and quiet voice only added to what Lucy immediately thought when she saw the girl. _This girl is freakin' adorable! She's like a mini Lisanna_.

"Oh, uh nothing. Just remembering something obnoxious." Lucy answered with a little laugh. "But what are you doing back here sweetie? I'm pretty sure this is private property."

The girl fidgeted under Lucy's direct question, looking towards the ground. Lucy watched her ball up her fists in her overlarge shirt, plucking up the courage to say something. _And she's all shy too! It's like a tidal wave of cuteness!_

"I- I'm here to help move things for Sid. He said to come help you," the girl finally answered.

"So you're the company he mentioned. I've gotta say, I didn't expect to be working with someone so young. Will you be ok? This stuff's pretty heavy." Looking at the child, Lucy doubted she could even lift the smaller boxes. But, maybe she would be surprised. After all, she'd watched people knock down buildings with their bare hands before. And Mira and Erza were little S class terrors by the time they were tweens. Maybe she was in for a surprise.

The girl answered with a furtive nod of her head. "Don't worry. I promise I won't get in the way."

"Well if you say so. My name's Lucy. It's nice to meetcha." Lucy said with a smile, bending down to offer the girl a handshake.

Tentatively taking her hand, the girl introduced herself. "My name is Yukino. It's nice to meet you too," she said politely, bowing her head a little to avoid eye contact.

"Well Yukino, I'm gonna get back to it. Let me know if you need any help, ok?"

Yukino nodded quickly, her hair bouncing around her head. Lucy turned back to the larger boxes, leaving the smaller ones for Yukino to work on. _I'm sure it'll be fine. Sid didn't seem like he'd let someone handle his stuff if they weren't capable._ Moving towards her next target, Lucy quickly hauled it into the warehouse. Walking back out, she cast a sidelong look to see how Yukino was faring with her work. Apparently not so well. Lucy watched with a barely contained laugh as she desperately tried to push a box nearly as tall as herself towards the warehouse. Her face was red with exertion, and the breeze carried her small grunts of effort towards Lucy. But the crate may as well have been nailed to the ground for all the good her efforts were doing.

"Yukino," Lucy called over. "Are you sure you don't want some help over there?"

Stopping to answer, Yukino said breathlessly, "It's fine. I promised I wouldn't slow you down. I can do it." With barely one more breath, she threw herself back at the box with a determination that surprised Lucy. _She's really taking this seriously,_ Lucy thought. _So she doesn't want me to help because she thinks it'll slow me down. Hmm… I hope she isn't scared of cows._ Fingering the key ring in her pocket, Lucy trotted over to where Yukino continued in vain to dislodge her crate.

"Hey, I know you don't want my help but I don't think this fella's goin anywhere," Lucy said, squatting down to eye level with Yukino. Yukino's face, already red from trying to move the box, deepened into a harsh maroon as she blushed in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry Miss Lucy. I'm just ge-getting in the way." Yukino hiccupped out as small tears formed.

"No you're not! I'm glad for the company." Lucy gave Yukino her biggest smile, trying to prevent any waterworks. "You just need a little extra muscle. So I've got a proposition for you."

Yukino managed to look up with a question in her eyes, holding back her tears as best she could.

Lucy continued on, "I'll keep working over there, and I'll call out a friend to help you over here. That way you don't slow me down and we get our work done quicker! What do you think?" Holding her keys behind her back, her fingers sought out the shape of Taurus's key.

"A friend? But won't that just take even more time?" Yukino asked.

"Normally, yeah. But I've got some very special friends. You wanna meet one?" Lucy asked, chanting Taurus's summoning incantation in her head.

Lucy watched as Yukino's face went from embarrassed to curious at the mention of her "special" friends. _I've got her hooked now._ Lucy thought, feeding her magic into the celestial gate. _Now as long as she isn't scared of a two-ton perverted bull in a speedo, we'll get through this tear-free._ It spoke volumes about how used to the various oddities of the magic world Lucy was that her last thought didn't raise any internal flags. But any time for reconsidering was lost as she felt the gate open in response to her summons.

A soft golden flash lit up the area, and the chime of a bell reverberated across the surrounding buildings. Across the street a flock of pigeons swarmed into the sky, protesting the disturbance. Out of the light stepped the ten foot tall form of Taurus; part cow, part man, all pervert in all his swimsuited glory.

"Well, well, well!" He bellowed. "To what do I owe the pleasure of bearing witness to my master's tantalizingly tank-topped tata's today?"

 _I've made a terrible mistake._

Holding in the flurry of choice words that sprang to her lips, Lucy turned to Yukino with a forced smile. "Now I know he's a little odd, but there's nobody better for dealing with- Hey! Yukino what's wrong?!" Lucy cried in alarm. All traces of Yukino's embarrassment were gone, replaced with a wide-eyed, slack-jawed stammering stream of unintelligible noises. Grabbing her shoulders, Lucy shook the girl hoping to calm her down. "It's ok, it's ok! He won't hurt you. The only person in danger here is him if he keeps up the harassment talk," Lucy said with a pointed glare at her spirit.

Undaunted by the jab, Taurus pressed on. "And there it is! Miss Lucy's patented death glare! Most men are udderly cowed within just a second, but sometimes that icy glare is just what that doctor ordered." A wide smile and thumbs up from the spirit completely deflated Lucy's anger, leaving only the exasperation that always followed summoning her bovine spirit.

"Is he a spirit?!" Yukino suddenly shouted out, hopping from foot to foot without taking her eyes off of Taurus. Startled by the outburst from the reserved girl, Lucy couldn't tell if she was thrilled or terrified.

"Uh, yeah, he is. Yukino, I'd like you to meet Taurus, the Golden Bull." Lucy said, gesturing at the posing cow behind her.

"Wow!" Lucy was surprised and thrilled to see a huge smile on Yukino's face as she danced around Taurus, looking at him from every angle. Taurus, obviously pleased with the attention, began striking pose after pose trying to show off for the girl.

"I see you've met a young lady of discerning taste Miss Lucy!" He shouted as he flexed his biceps, eliciting squeals of delight from Yukino. At the mention of Lucy, Yukino's head snapped back towards Lucy who was watching the whole interaction with a mixture of joy and utter bewilderment. It pleased her to no end that a young child was so delighted just to be able to see a spirit. But it just had to be Taurus. This would drive his ego through the roof. Dreading the onslaught of cow puns and sexual harassment that were sure to follow any self-esteem boost for her spirit, Lucy almost didn't notice Yukino practically sprinting towards her.

"Miss Lucy are you a Celestial Spirit Mage?" The silver-haired girl asked breathlessly, huge eyes staring up at her.

"Why yes I am." Lucy proudly decreed, nose pointing up into the air. While nowhere near as vain as she'd been upon arriving at Fairy Tail, Lucy couldn't help but preen whenever someone asked about her magic. It was her pride and joy after all. "So I take it you like spirits too?"

Yukino furiously nodded her head, bobbed hair bouncing around her face. "They're the best! They can use all kinds of magic and every new one you meet is a new friend!" Yukino's quickly professed declaration sent Lucy over the moon. She hadn't met anyone so adoring of spirits since, well, herself. Meeting someone who thought of spirits the same way she did brought out the biggest smile she'd had on her face in years. Yukino saw Lucy smiling at her as she raved about her love for spirits, and her voice cut out entirely. Her face turned an even brighter shade of red than before, and Lucy had to resist the urge to scoop up the girl and coo over the pure adorableness as Yukino buried her face in her shirt, trying to hide.

"A-Anyway, I just really like them," Yukino finished in a tiny voice, barely audible from inside her oversized shirt.

"That's wonderful Yukino, and there's no reason to be embarrassed." Lucy said, reaching out to pull down Yukino's shirt, bringing her tomato red face out into the open. "I feel the exact same way. But, before we talk any more about spirits we need to finish our job. Once we're done I can introduce you to some more spirits if you like," Lucy said with a wink.

"Really?" Yukino's eyes began beaming with excitement again.

"Uh-huh, just be careful. There's no point in rushing through a job if you don't do it right." Lucy stood up and move towards the pile of larger boxes. "Taurus, help Yukino move her boxes inside that warehouse," Lucy ordered over her shoulder as she picked up her next crate. "And no cheating, either. You're helping, not doing it all for her."

"Yes ma'am! If I do a good job do I get a reward?" Taurus asked with a lecherous glance towards his master.

"Sure, why not."

"Wait, really?" Taurus asked, eyes bugging out of his head.

"Of course, I'll even let you pick what you want." Lucy said with a smile.

For once, Taurus had no pun ready. He had nothing to say about his master's body, and no sly comment to harass her with. Lucy watched with feigned interest as her spirit's mind went into overdrive, considering his possible rewards. Calmly and slowly, she bent down towards the ground and found two round, decently sized rocks, rolling them around in her hand.

"Oh, and Taurus?" Lucy called sweetly, ripping the cow from his daydreams.

"Hehe- uh, what, yes?" He asked, trying to cover for his spacing out.

Lucy moved the rocks around in her hand, dragging her spirits attention towards them "I want you to think very carefully about what you ask for. This is a once in a lifetime chance. You wouldn't want to regret it, now would you?" Lucy crushed the rocks in her hand, letting their powdery remains fall towards the ground. Taurus instinctively flinched, hands moving towards his speedo to protect himself from Lucy's thinly veiled threat.

"Wow! She crushed those like nothing! Miss Lucy's really strong, isn't she Mr. Taurus. Wait, why are you crying?" Yukino asked the spirit in concern.

"It's nothing, young lady," Taurus simpered, tears flowing down his cheeks. "My dreams have just been udderly dashed.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 Recruitment I guess or something like that. Not really sure if chapters actually need names.

"Open, Gate of the Ram, Aries!" Lucy cried, somewhat louder than needed. The rest of their work had gone quickly, especially with the help of Taurus. His depression due to not really being offered any reward he wanted quickly evaporated in the face of Yukino's unbridled happiness at being able to talk with a spirit. He had especially surprised Lucy, keeping any and all sexual harassment comments to himself. Instead, he brought out every stupid pun and joke in his repertoire to amuse the young girl. The periodic fits of giggles from Yukino at his antics made the work go quicker for Lucy. It had been a long time since one of her jobs, even a non-guild commissioned one like this, had been so full of laughter. Taurus had returned once the boxes were moved, and Yukino now stood quietly yet expectantly waiting for Lucy to bring out another spirit as she'd promised. Going through all the spirits she had contracts with, Lucy had decided the kind and sweet Aries would be the perfect playmate for Yukino while she got her money from Sid.

As always, the arrival of a spirit was accompanied by the chime of a bell and a flash of golden light that blinded the surroundings for a few seconds. As it faded, in its place stood the Ram, Aries. She was short, with a kind and round face. Anyone who hadn't met her before would be drawn to her strange outfit and the curled horns jutting out of her head. She wore what looked like a white wool sweater with a puffed up ring around her neck. The sweater descended into a miniskirt of the same material, and a pair of yellow tights and fuzzy boots covered her legs. Stepping out of the golden light, Aries gave a slight nod to Lucy, before inquiring politely what she could do to be of service.

"Hi Aries, I'd like you to meet a new friend of mine," Lucy said gesturing towards Yukino who looked ready to explode with excitement at any minute. "She really loves spirits, so I was hoping you could keep her company while I go collect for this job."

"Oh, not a problem Lucy. I'm sure we'll get along just fine. It's nice to meet you," she said directing her attention towards Yukino who was hopping around in excitement. "I'm Aries, one of Lucy's contracted spirits.

"Wow! I-I'm Yukino Agria. It's so amazing to meet you Miss Aries," she stammered out through her excitement. Lucy watched with amusement as Yukino frantically bowed her head to her spirit, trying to be polite. Now while Aries was certainly Lucy's kindest spirit, and always willing to lend her a hand she was also very easily embarrassed. So the sight of an extremely nervous, overexcited child bombarding her with propriety was quite the shock for the Ram.

"Eh-? Uh, no it's fine. Um, please just Aries Ms. Agria." She said, waving hands in front of her, as though to ward off Yukino's overeager politeness.

Lucy slipped through the warehouse, hoping to hold in her laughter as she watched an embarrassed Yukino struggle to comprehend being called "Ms. Agria" by a spirit. Lucy could just imagine the two of them going back and forth, each trying to outpolite the other. _I really, really want to watch that, but the job comes first. Now where the heck is Sid?_

Lucy wandered towards the front of the shop, hoping to catch a glimpse of the bear-like owner so she could collect her pay. She spotted him handing over change to a customer whose arms were filled with small boxes, maybe for a party or gifts. Stepping up and wiping off some of the sweat from her brow, Lucy leaned on the counter to attract his attention.

"Boxes are all moved and accounted for back there, Sid."

Sid gave her a quick glance and a gruff "ok" in acknowledgement. "Good, and Yukino?"

"In the back playing with a friend of mine. They seem to be getting along pretty well. Now, about my pay…" Lucy trailed off, leaving the request hanging in the air.

"Your friend?" Sid answered, eyes narrowing as he completely ignored Lucy's question. "I should go check on them. Yukino doesn't do well around strangers." Lucy watched with a mixture of annoyance and amusement as the manager completely dodged her question and rose to his full imposing stature, immediately heading towards the back door. His transformation from shopkeeper into a full blown overprotective mother bear was so sudden that Lucy couldn't help but laugh. The bear in question turned sharply towards her with one eyebrow raised.

"And what's so funny there?" he asked gruffly

"Nothing, nothing. It's just cute how protective you are. She's lucky to have such a sweet Dad." Lucy answered with a smile.

"Yukino a'int mine. Far as I know she's got no family."

"Oh…" Lucy cast her eyes down in pity for the spirit-loving little girl. "Sorry, I just assumed. What with you letting her work this job and all. It's pretty obvious she couldn't move any of those boxes without some help."

"Eh, no problem." He said, waving off her look of sadness. "It'd look that way to anyone with eyes. But enough of that, I really need to go check on her."

Curious to know more, Lucy reached up and firmly grabbed Sid's shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. He turned to look at her with one eyebrow raised, a challenge in his eyes as she prevented him from making sure Yukino was safe.

"Relax, I promise she's fine. I'll know if anything goes wrong back there." Emphasizing her point, Lucy got out her keyring and jingled it in front of Sid's face.

A small look of surprise flashed across Sid's face at the sight of the keys, but quickly disappeared behind his grumpy mask as he stopped moving for the back.

"So your friend…"

"Aries the Ram, zodiac spirit and certified nicest being in existence. Yukino looked like she was about to explode with questions for her when I left, so I doubt her being shy is really an issue here. But I would like to hear more about her if you don't mind."

Sid gave Lucy a strange look, and she guessed it was warranted. Some stranger asking to know more about a kid they'd just met only after finding out she was an orphan would certainly raise some flags with any sane person. But Lucy couldn't help herself. A young girl with no family to care for her who loved spirits to an insane degree. Where had she heard that story before?

Maybe it was the fact that she let Yukino meet a spirit, or maybe it was something in her expression, but Sid sighed and began walking back towards the counter. He went behind it, motioning for Lucy to follow as he went into an unassuming door underneath a shelf full of magical toys. Following a few paces back, Lucy strolled through the door and into a sparsely furnished yet immaculate living space.

An open kitchen area took up the whole right of the room, the faint red glow of heat lacrimas emanating from beneath the oven. Something sat inside it, but Lucy couldn't tell exactly what. A set of clean dishes sat next to a sink, waiting to be used for whatever Sid seemed to be preparing. Hardwood floors stretched from the kitchen across the rest of the room, where they met with the far wall. A small table sat in the middle of the room, four chairs surrounding it. Lucy had the feeling they were there more for aesthetic purposes rather than actually entertaining guests. Sid sat in a drab yet comfy looking armchair near the far wall, and he gestured towards an identical one across from it as Lucy entered. The room gave the impression of Spartan efficiency, with a few allowances made for comfort. Moving to sit, Lucy noticed a frame on a cabinet containing numerous medals and a picture of a young man in military dress. _A retired soldier, huh? Wonder what made him decide to open a magic shop._

Lucy sat across from Sid, waiting for him to begin the conversation. He sat in his chair, staring at the wall behind her and absentmindedly cracking his knuckles. He appeared lost in thought for a minute, mulling over some issue in his head. Lucy patiently waited for him to gather his thoughts. He'd tell her eventually; bringing her in there to talk was proof enough of that. _And I can always pry for a little extra._ Lucy thought. _No point rushing the guy._ Lucy snapped to attention as Sid sighed and leaned slightly forward preparing to talk.

"Before I say anything, I gotta ask why you're so curious about her. She's a good kid and I don't want her gettin' into no trouble." Sid said seriously, looking directly at Lucy.

"Let's just say I can relate to her circumstances. Plus, it's not every day I meet a kid who likes spirits as much as I do." Lucy answered truthfully although she left her own background ambiguous. "Now maybe you can tell me more about this whole 'no family' deal."

"I'm gettin' to that. But one last question first. You're a celestial wizard, and a damn strong one seein' as you've got all those zodiacs. Are you with a guild?"

The question seemed a little out of left field to Lucy, but she saw no harm in answering. Nodding and raising her right hand and turning the back towards Sid, she displayed the tattoo showing her guild affiliation. "I'm a member of Fairy Tail. Have been for a couple years now." Sid's eyebrows furrowed in thought at the name, and he began drumming his fingers on his leg in thought.

"Fairy Tail, huh. Didn't realize you guys were still working, what with that incident a while back."

"We're still strong as ever," Lucy answered icily. "Now what does me being in a guild have to do with you telling me about Yukino?" Lucy dropped any pretext of politeness, fixing Sid with a stare that dared him to say anything else about Fairy Tail's decline from the public eye. Raising his hands in surrender, Sid continued before Lucy burned a hole in him with her glare.

"Just making sure you aren't some crazy solo mage. You being with a guild means you follow the law at least. But on to Yukino. When I say she's got no family, I mean we don't know what happened to them. Hans, one of my neighbors, was out near the edge of town one day eight, nine years ago and found her stumbling towards the city all alone. No parents, no belongings; just a little kid half-dead and barely conscious. When he brought her back here she was a complete mess. Feet all cut up, clothes in shambles; a'int no good reason for a little wisp of a thing like her to be in such a state. I've done some first-aid in my time so I patched her up and we tried to ask her what happened. All we really got out of her was that some people in strange outfits came to her village and her sister made her run away. She doesn't know what happened to her sister, or her parents for that matter. We searched for her village to see if anyone was still there, but it was completely abandoned. Nothing but burnt-out buildings and not a living person to be found. Plenty of corpses though."

Sid paused, his face looking like he'd swallowed something unpleasant as he described the brutality of whoever attacked Yukino's hometown. Lucy listened intently, feeling there was something familiar in the tale. _Eight or nine years ago… That's about when The Tower of Heaven was still being built. And 'men in strange outfits' can't just be a coincidence._

"Sid," Lucy interjected. "When you were at this village, were there any children among the dead?"

That brought Sid's full attention onto Lucy. "You've heard of this before," He said bluntly, leaving no room for debate.

Lucy sighed and rubbed her hand over her eyes, feeling extremely tired all of a sudden. No matter how long it had been, the Tower kept rearing its ugly head. _Maybe it's a good thing Erza's not here for this_ , she thought bitterly. _She'd dealt with enough of this bullshit._ Heaving a long sigh, Lucy answered Sid.

"Not this particular incident, no. But it's the MO of a group of Zeref worshippers who were active about the time you were talking about. They'd storm in, kill the adults, and then kidnap the children to use as slaves."

"You seem to know an awful lot about this for someone who was still a kid when it happened."

Lucy gave him a crooked smile before continuing. "I guess I do, don't I. I had a friend who was one of the children taken. She managed to escape and joined Fairy Tail when she was still a kid. Two years ago we and a few other of my guildmates destroyed the remnants of that damned cult. I can't say much about it because the Magic Council made the information classified. Heck I could probably be arrested for telling you this. But I should be fine as long as nobody knows that you know, you know?" Lucy said with a conspiratorial wink.

"My lips are sealed. And it's just like you think. Adults were left to rot where they died, but there wasn't a single kid left. As far as I know, everyone Yukino knew was back there, so she had nobody."

"So you decided to take care of her?" Lucy asked.

"Me and the other shopkeepers around here, yeah. We make sure she's got clothes and food and she tries to help us out. We'd take care of her for nothing, but she just starts crying if she thinks she's being a burden. Kindest little thing I've ever known, but she's got a hell of a stubborn streak in her," Sid said, smiling fondly.

"Yeah I got that when I was out there with her," Lucy chuckled. "The floodgates looked about to burst when I offered to help her."

"Sounds about right. She's so young but she insists on earning her keep. Best kid I've ever met, I'll tell you what," Sid said, his face tinged with pride. Even though he'd immediately refuted her suggestion that he was Yukino's father, Lucy could tell he took it upon himself to act like one. And there wasn't much a father liked to do more than brag over his daughter. And apparently Sid was quite good at it. For the next five minutes, Lucy was bombarded with praise of his not daughter. "-And she helps around every single store 'round here. Delight of the neighborhood, she is."

"Um, Sid," Lucy interrupted. As much as she was glad to get away from the topics of Zeref cultists and orphaned children, she had hoped that Sid would eventually get to his point. "That's great and all, but I'm guessing you called me back here for a reason?"

"Ah, uh right, right." Sid harrumphed and readjusted in his chair, a slight tinge rushing to his cheeks. "I called you back because I have a request for you."

"Oh? And the nature of this request? Lucy asked, all business at the mention of a job.

Sid folded his hands and looked at her with an intensity that almost startled her out of her business persona. "I'd like you to teach Yukino how to summon spirits."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Two Years

"You want me, someone you've barely met, to teach your daughter-" Lucy held up a hand to stop the objection on Sid's lips. "Adopted daughter then; how to use magic?" Lucy was incredulous. It was obvious Sid cared about Yukino as much as any parent. How could he just try to foist her onto someone he barely knew? Horror stories plagued the magic world of people who offered to teach children magic only to make experiments out of them. Now Lucy would never do something like that, but how was Sid to know?

"Yup." Sid answered blithely. The two blankly stared at each other, Lucy out of astonishment and Sid because blank seemed to be his default expression. "So will you?"

"Hold up, hold up," Lucy said calming herself down. "You do know what you're asking, right? Teaching someone magic isn't something you just do in a day. It can take years of studying and hard work to learn."

"I'm well aware." Sid answered. He stood and walked over to the cabinet on which the picture sat. Lucy watched his back as he opened and rummaged through it, searching for something near the back. She heard him grunt in satisfaction as he pulled something out from its depths. He turned and walked back to his chair, plopping down with a groan. In his lap he held a medium sized black box, dusty from its stay in the cabinet.

"What's that?" Lucy asked with a pointed stare at the box.

"Memories," he grumbled. "And ones that I've done my best not to think about for long enough. Open it." Lucy was surprised at the strain in his voice. Whatever was in the box was clearly something he wasn't comfortable with. Carefully dusting it off with her hand, Lucy opened the box and found it contained two things. Another, smaller box rested on one end, clamped shut with what appeared to be a magic lock. Small dots of golden energy danced around a keyhole holding the little box shut. A strong temptation to try an open it washed over her. She moved her hand towards it, building up a bit of magic in her palm.

"The pictures," Sid said forcefully, breaking her concentration. Shaking her head in embarrassment, Lucy rummaged around the rest of the box, seeing a large collection of old photographs. A quick scan through the box showed a younger Sid with a pretty girl on his arm, both smiling. Here at a restaurant, there in the very room she sat in, and finally at a wedding.

"Your wife's beautiful, Sid? Is she here now?" Lucy asked as she continued flipping through the pictures.

Sid sighed at the question and Lucy saw the first hint of real emotion on his face. He looked incredibly sad, but only for the briefest of moments. "She passed about ten years ago."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize." Lucy said, unconsciously crowding further back into her chair. Even if she felt sorry for him, she'd had enough death in her life to not want to deal with it anymore.

Sid waved off her condolences with a massive hand. "Thanks, but I'm not showing you those pictures for pity. Look under the other box."

Lucy did as he asked. She lifted the smaller box out, handing it to Sid. Underneath were more pictures, though only of Sid's late wife. Lucy picked them up and began to flip through them before snapping a double-take at the one on the top page. It showed the young woman, all smiles with her arm around a man. However it wasn't Sid, but someone Lucy was incredibly familiar with.

"Is that Cancer?" Lucy whispered as she looked closely at the picture.

"Cancer the Crab." Sid confirmed with a nod. "Keep going."

Lucy eagerly flipped through the photos, hungry to find pictures with other spirits. There she was in front of Mercurius Castle with a Plue of her own. Then her reading on a porch next to a goat-like spirit she'd never seen before. "Capricorn?" Lucy asked Sid curiously.

Sid nodded. "She was quite the Celestial Mage, Lara. She was training to be a military mage while I was still a private. We met on a joint-exercise and the rest is history. But what you need to see is this." Taking the stack from her, Sid quickly leafed through it and pulled out one near the bottom. Handing it over, Sid gazed at her impassively. "Recognize someone?"

On first glance, Lucy couldn't quite understand what she was seeing. It was Sid and his wife, who she now knew to be Lara. Both looked slightly older than the earlier pictures she'd seen, though the smiles hadn't aged a day. But the strangest thing was that someone else was standing with them in this picture. Not a spirit, but a young girl with shocking blonde hair and large brown eyes that smiled right along with them. It was Lucy, right about the age when her mother died.

"What in the… Why the hell do you have a picture of me as a kid?" Lucy asked, slowly reaching for her keys. Sid had seemed like a nice enough guy, but this was getting all too strange for her liking.

Sid seemed to find her reaction priceless, judging from the slight chuckle he let out at her question. "I guess even you can't tell the difference, huh? That makes me feel a little better." Sid said looking at the picture with a fond look. "When you walked through my front door I could've sworn little Layla had come back to pay old Sid a visit."

Now that blew the business right off Lucy's face. Thoughts careened inside her head as she tried to process the fact that she'd been working for a man who knew her mother as a child. Frankly, Lucy knew next to nothing about her mother's childhood. Every story about her parents began with them meeting. They never talked about what happened before that. As a child Lucy remembered asking Layla about her grandparents, but nothing about an answer. After Layla was gone, Lucy could count on one hand how many conversations she'd had with her father that weren't ice-cold and all business. Needless to say, her family's past hadn't come up. But some odd twist of fate had landed her here. And she wasn't going to miss-

"So back to my question." Sid said, cutting through Lucy's thoughts like a knife. "I'm assuming Layla was the one who taught you to use Celestial Magic, right?"

"A little, yeah, before she passed away but just a-" Lucy tried to bring up her questions about her mother but was stopped as Sid continued on.

"And Lara was the one who taught her. Even gave her a couple of those zodiacs that you're carrying now. So that's why I'm asking you to teach Yukino. I know she's gonna try summoning someday. You should see the way she looks at the keys in my shop here. So, I want her to learn from someone who treats their spirits how Lara did."

Lucy considered her position. The burning desire to learn more about her mother's childhood sat at the forefront of her mind. However, she was also one to consider the big picture. Accepting the offer would let her show a young mage the proper way to treat her spirits. She'd watched Yukino interacting with her spirits, and it was obvious she'd try summoning one day whoever taught her. The world didn't need more Karens or Angels running around. And the idea of showing someone who loved spirits how to meet new ones and make friends with them sent a feeling of warmth coursing through her that nearly had her jumping at the offer immediately.

But to train someone in magic was a… daunting prospect to say the least. She'd improved since joining Fairy Tail, but compared to those who'd practiced magic since they were children she still considered herself a novice. Plus, she was only nineteen! Teaching should be left to people with more, well, she didn't know what exactly but something that she didn't have. Lucy's teachers after her mother died had all been kind yet wizened elderly tutors brought in to raise her into a perfect heiress. They weren't successful but the matter still stood in Lucy's mind. Maybe that something she was missing was wrinkles.

Lucy was so absorbed in thought that she didn't notice the slight heat starting to grow at her hip. Oblivious to the rising heat, she continued to deliberate.

Training Yukino from scratch would take a lot of time. And time wasn't a luxury Lucy was afforded much recently. If she wasn't out on a job she was looking for another one, trying to help with Fairy Tail's astronomical debts left over from certain more destructive members. She and other members had managed to make a dent in them, but without any members capable of completing the higher paying S-class quests Fairy Tail's financial standing was flimsy at best.

But her guild was also desperate for recruits. And Yukino definitely seemed promising if her attitude was anything to go by. A young new mage would probably brighten up the guild a lot. Financial stress and the loss of so many friends had plummeted morale, and it wasn't anywhere close to recovering. Her train of thought was interrupted by the heat on her hip, as it quickly rose to an intense and painful burning.

Her shout of pain was lost in the sound of a bell and a blinding flash of light. Before she could even consider what was going on, she was unceremoniously grabbed by her collar and hauled onto the shoulder of a very pissed off mermaid.

"Aquarius?! What the heck-" Lucy's question was literally drowned out as a flood of water smacked her in the face.

"Quiet brat!" Lucy's bad tempered spirit shouted, shutting off any objections from Lucy. Obeying an angry Aquarius was the best way to avoid a sudden and unfortunate end to one's life. The sudden appearance of Aquarius in his parlor didn't make any sort of noticeable impact on Sid. Apparently he'd learned the same lesson as Lucy during Layla's time with him. He seemed to accept the sudden water damage to his house as though it were perfectly expected.

"Aquarius," he said, nodding his head in greeting.

"Sid," she acknowledged curtly. "I have no idea why you'd ask this little idiot to do something like that, but she says 'yes'."

"Excellent." Sid answered as though the matter were settled.

"Wait a minute!" Lucy spluttered through a mouthful of water. "Don't I get a say in this?!"

"Sure brat. You can say 'yes' or 'yes'. Which one do you pick?" Aquarius said as she shifted Lucy on her shoulder, eliciting a squeal of pain.

Lucy was used to Aquarius suddenly appearing to yell at her. As scary as her spirit was, it had been one of the few constants in her life before Fairy Tail that she didn't particularly mind. For some reason Lucy always ended up feeling better after her spirit had lectured her about her unending stupidity.

"Why do you want me to teach her so badly anyway?" Lucy asked.

"Why the hell would I give a damn?" Aquarius groaned, rolling her eyes.

"But-, but you just said." Lucy stammered out, trying to figure out what had enraged her spirit so much.

Aquarius palmed her face in annoyance. "Honestly, this little…" she said under her breath as though Lucy couldn't hear her. "You want to teach her, not me."

"What are you talking-" Lucy tried to answer, but another blast of water cut her off.

"Are you forgetting I can read your feelings, idiot? I know you want to teach the kid so just do it!" the spirit shouted again as her temper rose.

"But I don't think I-"

"Enough with the damn buts! Any more and you won't be sitting on yours for a month!" Aquarius screamed, emphasizing her threat with a painful smack on Lucy's rear. "What would those stupid friends of yours say if they saw you whining like this?"

Aquarius's bluntness shocked Lucy, as even the mermaid normally refrained from talking about her dead guildmates. Maybe it was the anger that she said it with, or maybe just years of obeying the spirit's orders asserting themselves, but Lucy did exactly as Aquarius demanded. With surprising ease she conjured up her memories of her team, imagining how they'd react to her doubt.

 _I think you'd make a fine teacher Lucy. Your bond with your spirits is truly something special._

 _Hey, do whatever you feel like. We've got your back._

 _I- I think you'd be great! I've already learned a lot from everyone here._

 _What the hell are you talkin' about? If you want to do it then go for it. Anyone tries to get in the way I'll kick their ass for ya!_

Every one of them told her to just go with her gut. But going in blind like that, not knowing how her decision would affect the guild… it was just reckless.

Something clicked inside Lucy. Reckless and stupid, she thought as a grin burst out across her face. She felt the stress of the decision fall away and couldn't help giggling to herself at how simple it all was. Her voice swelled into a joyful laugh that echoed around the room. Being reckless and diving in headfirst on pure emotion; that was what Fairy Tail was all about. Lucy had taken it upon herself to maintain Fairy Tail's status, but in doing so forgotten what made her guild so wonderful. Fairies didn't give a damn what others thought. They just did what they felt was right by themselves and the rules of the guild. And right then, Lucy felt like teaching a young girl how be a mage.

"All right, all right," Lucy laughed from Aquarius's shoulder. "I'm pretty stupid, aren't I?"

Being held backwards, Lucy couldn't see the smile playing across Aquarius's lips as the spirit roughly set her down on the floor. "As dumb as they come. Glad you finally realize that," Aquarius said with feigned curtness now that her point had been made.

"So," Sid asked drawing out the word. "Can I assume you'll teach her?"

"You betcha!" Lucy happily answered. "I'll go ask her know right now." Lucy began walking towards the door with a skip in her step as she began thinking of how she'd go about teaching Yukino. As she reached the door she realized she'd forgotten one important thing. "Oh, by the way. If she says yes she'll have to join Fairy Tail."

"Just bring her around to visit every now and again." Sid answered as Lucy left the room, slamming the door shut in her excitement.

A comfortable silence encompassed the room with the mage's departure, leaving only Sid and Aquarius. "She's a good kid, that one. Not quite as put together as Layla was, but she's got a real fire in there."

Aquarius gave a short derisive laugh at that. "Fire's just another word for stupid. And Lucy's got that in spades."

"Lucy?" Sid observed nonchalantly. "Not 'brat'?"

"Oh shut it, old man," Aquarius said with a pointed glare. Her body glowed a brilliant gold, and with a blinding flash of light she disappeared back to the Spirit Realm.

* * *

 **Author's note time!**

 **Hey there folks! Guess it's finally time i do one of these author's note things. To those who've read so far I hope you're enjoying my little story. Apologies for the irregular updating schedule; real life's been busy. Anyway thanks a bunch for the reviews, follows, favorites, etc. It means a lot to get some feedback on my first attempt at a story. In the future I'll be trying to maintain a more regular release schedule, probably on weekends. Maybe make the chapters longer, idk. I'm just gonna have fun writing this and I hope you guys come along for the ride! Now let's address the some of the reviews so far.**

 **Lucy Heartbreaker- Thanks a bunch for being my first review ever! Hope you enjoy wherever i take the story from now on :D**

 **laurajustin- Glad you liked it. Sorry 'bout the weird update times. Hopefully they'll get more regular from here on out.**

 **mynameisshelby- Aww shucks, glad i got you to smile! And about why Lucy wasn't on Tenrou, it'll come up eventually. Just later. So, you know, keep on reading. Hehehehe.**

 **Guest- Glad you picked up on the 8 gold keys thing. In the Canon Lucy should have 9 right now shouldn't she? Boy I do wonder why there's only 8. Someone should really get around to explaining that in the story shouldn't they?**

 **Anyway we're gonna cut it off there so the author's note isn't a whole extra chapter here. I'll address more reviews in the coming chapters so if you don't see yours here don't think I've forgotten you!**

 **Also I should probably mention at some point that I obviously don't own Fairy Tail or anything associated with it. I'm just a fan with way too many headcanons running around up in my noggin.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 A Choice

Lucy worked her way through the store towards the warehouse where she'd left Yukino and Aries. Thoughts of how to teach someone to be a celestial spirit mage dominated her mind. Should she start with the theory behind opening gates? Or maybe teach her about the traits of the myriad of spirits out there. _Maybe I'll just jump right into summoning. That's how I learned at least._

A forceful tug on her magic shocked Lucy out of her thoughts. Aries was using magic, and a lot of it. Definitely too much to just be showing Yukino a harmless trick. Lucy sprinted the rest of the way, horrible possibilities playing out in her mind of what could have forced her gentle-mannered spirit to attack something. Bursting through the door, she was greeted with a sight that made her blood boil with barely contained rage.

Aries stood protectively in front of a petrified Yukino whose eyes flitted between the spirit and a group of five people across the alley. Between them stood a massive wool wall, blocking the group from advancing any farther. The foremost member of the group muttered something and a magic circle appeared in front of him. Steaming purple liquid sprayed out, drenching her spirit's defensive wall. A sharp hiss sliced through the air as the wool began to dissolve into nothing.

"Aries, what the hell's going on? Who are these thugs?" Lucy demanded as she strode to stand by her spirit, placing herself between Yukino and the attackers.

"I don't know. We were talking and they just appeared, demanding Yukino hand over my key. I believe they think she is my contractor."

Lucy eyes narrowed as she watched the mage dissolve the last of the wall, signaling the rest of the group to move forward. The leader stepped forward and glanced at Lucy. He was a ratty looking man, an unkempt beard hiding the lower half of his face while the rest of his head was completely bald. He wore a frayed sleeveless jacket, revealing a tattoo of a skull entwined by thorns on his upper arm. A cursory look at the others revealed the same tattoo on his followers as well. _Skull Rose_ , Lucy realized, recognizing the design. She remembered seeing a request at the guild to investigate the Crocus centered dark guild, but she'd opted for the higher payday.

The bald man stepped forward, muttering quietly again. The same magic circle appeared in front of him again. He held it in front of him, pointing it at Lucy.

"Thought the kid was a little young to be owning such a rare gate key. Now blondie, hand over the key and nobody-

"Oh shut up." Lucy growled cutting him off. "Nobody touches my keys, and I don't negotiate with dark guilds. Aries, take Yukino inside and have Sid call the mage corps. Tell them I'll have some Skull Rose members for them to lock up." Lucy's voice was hard and clipped as she gave out orders, her right hand moving towards her keys. She regretted not bringing her whip, but stacking boxes shouldn't have required weapons.

Aries flashed a look of concern Lucy's way, but pulled Yukino in close and began to shuffle towards the warehouse. Lucy turned sideways and backed up, keeping both the mages and her spirit in sight to make sure they didn't go after her retreating spirit. Meanwhile she relayed silent instructions to her other spirits through her keys, getting ready for the ensuing fight. The acid mage repeated his incantation and purple liquid spat out at Lucy.

"Scorpio!" she shouted, bringing out her earth-based spirit. Emerging in a burst of light, Scorpio sported a maniacal grin as he answered his summons. The spirit looked almost human if you could ignore the fangs that he bared towards the oncoming mages. That and the massive scorpion stinger protruding from his back. He bent forward, pointing his tail at the oncoming purple mass and Lucy felt some of her power drain away as he launched his counterattack. A burnt orange magic circle appeared at the tip of his tail, exploding into a vicious whirlwind of sand. The miniature sandstorm collided with the acid, forcing it back and spraying the acrid magic back towards the Skull Rose members.

Erecting another magic circle, the acid mage bore the assault head on as his magic canceled out the effects of his redirected attack. His fellow attackers weren't all as fast. Two managed to duck out of the way, hastily throwing up their own magic circles in defense. The other two didn't react quickly enough, and were pelted with stinging sand and burning acid. Both went down instantly, screams of pain ripping through the quiet of the alley as their skin blistered and ripped under the acid-laden storm. The leader looked down at his fallen guildmates in disgust, stepping over one of them to move closer towards Lucy.

His callousness towards his comrades writhing on the ground only incited Lucy further. Sending Scorpio back, she palmed another key as the Skull Rose members approached. The two who managed to block Scorpio's attack moved to flank Lucy, one on the left and one on the right. The leader took the center as they edged closer towards Lucy, slightly more cautious now that they realized their prey wasn't going to go down easily. With a word from the leader, the two flankers dashed towards Lucy with magic gathering around them. The left reached her first, drawing his fist back to strike at her. Sparks exploded from his fist as he brought it down towards Lucy. Jumping back to avoid it, she murmured a quick summons under her breath. Landing on her back foot, she barely managed to duck under a jet of water from the other mage. She heard brick crumble behind her as the pressurized water turned someone's wall into rubble.

The water mage took aim again, but was startled by the appearance of a new foe. The lightning mage now stood in front of him, cocking his fist back and slamming it into the mage's jaw. An explosion of electricity provided Lucy the perfect distraction to attack a different lightning mage who watched the exchange with wide eyes. Gathering all the strength she had, Lucy spun and raised her leg in a wide arc. Her shin connected solidly into the man's temple, and his eyes rolled back as he collapsed in a heap. She gave a quick thumbs-up and grin towards the still-conscious lightning mage. He returned it and glowed brightly, re-appearing as two near-identical spirits. Gemini was one of two spirits that came as a pair, and they could replicate the appearance and abilities of anyone they touched so long as Lucy could supply them with enough power. But the most dangerous thing about Gemini was their ability to learn everything that the replicated person knew. In other words, they were the best interrogators in the world.

Focusing her attention back towards the leader, Lucy's eyes widened as she felt magic rushing off him in waves. The distraction provided by the two mages had afforded him enough time to gather all his magic for one massive attack. Hand darting towards her keys, Lucy's mind raced with possibilities of how to stop it. Deciding quickly, she whipped a new key out, sending Gemini back and preparing for a third summoning. And was nearly overcome by a wave of nausea. The rapid summonings while maintaining Aries's gate had drained her quicker than she thought. Opening two Zodiacs at once was a powerful ability, but extremely costly in terms of magic power. She felt Aries return to the spirit world to keep her from passing out from magic consumption. She couldn't even summon a silver key spirit with this level of magic.

 _Oh, this is gonna hurt_. Lucy faced the assault and gritted her teeth, preparing for a world of pain as the man's magic began to explode outward.

But it was completely unneeded. As the Skull Rose mage prepared to launch his built up magic at Lucy, she felt something whip by her hair at terrifying speeds. Ducking and spinning to face whatever had launched the object, she saw Sid standing at the entrance to his warehouse. The look on his face sent shivers down her spine. There was no hint of the calm store owner anywhere in his eyes. Only a cold anger that chilled everything he looked at. A cry from behind her brought Lucy's attention back to the acid mage.

He lay crumpled on the ground, blood pooling around his head. Lucy heard soft moans coming from him as she walked up to restrain him. A rock of decent heft lay in front of him with a spatter of blood covering it from the impact. She flipped him over and winced at the sight. The man's nose was completely crushed. Lucy turned back to Sid and was glad to see he no longer looked like a man on a murder mission. She flashed him a wry grin.

"I'm not sure how I feel about being upstaged in a magic fight by a rock."

He grunted in response, grabbing one of the attackers by the collar. A slap from his bear-like hand brought the man to attention. He quailed in fear at the hulking man bearing down on him and tried in vain to escape his clutches.

"You've got about five minutes before the Rune Knights show up to take your sorry ass to prison," Sid growled at him. "I can break you in three. Now, you answer my questions that won't be necessary. Got it?"

The man nodded furiously, and frankly Lucy didn't blame him for cracking so quickly. If the rock he threw was any indication, Sid was perfectly capable of making good on his threat. If she had any magic left she could summon Gemini and make this whole interrogation pointless. However the stars swimming in her vision told her any more magic use would result in her taking an unwanted nap here in the street. And she'd be a liar if she said she wasn't enjoying the man who tried attacking her spirits and Yukino squirm. Maybe Virgo was right about her having a bit of a sadistic streak.

"Good man. Now, why did you attack Yukino?"

"Spirits!" The man blurted out in fear. "The boss recognized the Zodiac spirit. We- we thought we could sell-"

Sid's hand crashed against the man's face. He was thrown bodily against a wall, crumpling into unconsciousness. Hefting himself up, Sid moved on to another downed Skull Rose member. He repeated his brief interrogation with each of the remaining thugs. Every one cracked and repeated the same story. They wanted to sell the Zodiac key for quick cash. The instant interrogations and subsequent beat downs reminded Lucy of Erza whenever she attempted to get information out of someone. The only difference was that Sid actually managed to learn something before relieving his subject of the ability to think. Sid wrenched information out of every attacker except the leader, who still lay on the pavement in no condition to answer.

The pounding of metal boots against the pavement came as Sid and Lucy finished gathering the unconscious dark guild members in a pile in the center of the alley. Ripping around the corner came ten Rune Knights in full uniform. Each carried a lacrima topped spear capable of being used as both weapon and magic catalyst for their suppressive magics. When it came to restraint-type magics the Rune Knights and their staves were widely regarded as the best in the kingdom. They set to work immediately, proving their namesake as bright green barriers marked with strange symbols appeared around the criminals' hands and necks. The leader of the group detached from his regiment and approached Lucy and Sid, thanking them for their efforts. He told them that Skull Rose had been a thorn in their side since they'd sprung up earlier that year. With a bow to the two and a quick turn, he returned to his soldiers and they escorted their prisoners out of the alley.

"Well those guys certainly work fast," Lucy said dryly. It hadn't even taken the knights a minute to bind and lead away the prisoners, leaving no trace of the fight that had occurred.

"Just a bunch of janitors in tin-foil with over-inflated egos," Sid grumbled, making his way back towards his shop. "Never get in the fight themselves but are glad to take the credit for it."

"Yeesh, I take it you're not their biggest fan."

"Not a chance. Can't tell you how many times Lara and I put down some punks only for those guys to sweep in. Betcha anything tomorrow we'll hear about how the brave Rune Knights captured the dangerous criminals of Skull Rose." Sid grumbled and harrumphed his way through the warehouse back to the store proper. Lucy wasn't too concerned about not getting credit for the work. She didn't like having her name broadcast around for people to see anyway. Questions and rumors would fly about why the Heartfilia heiress was running around fighting lowlifes. It was probably better to just let the Knights have their little propaganda party.

Sid opened the door into the store and was greeted with a white-tipped missile running full pelt into his waist. Yukino slammed into his leg with all the force a terrified child could muster. Scooping her up in his arms Sid set about calming her down. Lucy walked over to the wall, leaned her back against it and placed her hands on her knees, trying to get the symptoms from her magic overuse under control. She had been cocky. It was only recently that she'd become able to pull off simultaneous Zodiac summonings. She wasn't sure what possessed her to try and rapidly summon multiple zodiacs while maintaining another gate. But if Sid hadn't been there she could have gotten herself killed.

"What happened there? When Aries just up and vanished I thought they'd got you." Sid looked at Lucy with narrowed eyes that already knew the answer.

"Overdid it," Lucy breathed out as the black dots in her peripheries began to fade away. "Shouldn't have tried all those summonings in a row."

Sid sighed and ran his hand through Yukino's hair as she relaxed into his arms. "You're definitely Layla's kid alright. When she was learning she thought it'd be a great idea to summon three spirits at once. Nearly killed herself from the backlash."

"No way! No simultaneous summoning was her biggest rule when I was a kid. And she tried to summon three?" Lucy's memories of her mother weren't great, but she remembered an elegant and refined woman who always made the right choice. Certainly not someone who'd go and try a spell that was almost certainly lethal.

"Yup. Nearly put me and Lara into an early grave from worry. Glad to see she learned from it. Although it doesn't seem you listened to her very well, huh."

Lucy rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Well I _can_ summon two at once. Just, you know, not for very long."

Sid dragged his free hand over his eyes and looked up to the heavens in exasperation. Not only did Lucy look just like Layla, she shared her complete disdain for reason when it came to anything related to spirits. _But_ , he thought with a tinge of pride, _I can't exactly say that'll be a bad thing for Yukino._ Thinking of the girl he'd welcomed into his home, he looked and saw she had calmed down enough to regain her composure.

"You alright there, kiddo? Don't worry, Lucy here gave those guys a good old thrashing. Won't be coming around here again anytime soon." Yukino nodded and looked at Lucy with something akin to awe in her eyes. She tapped Sid on the shoulder, asking him to put her down. She walked nervously towards Lucy who had finally managed to get her breathing back in order.

"Thank you for saving me Miss Lucy," she said with a bow of her head. "Um, could I thank Miss Aries too? She kept me safe while they were out there." If there had been any doubt in Lucy's mind over teaching Yukino, that question erased it completely. Rare was the person who directed their thanks to the spirit and not the summoner, and that attitude is exactly what attracted Lucy to Yukino in the beginning.

Lucy knelt down so she was eye level with Yukino. Yukino looked down in embarrassment at the eye contact and Lucy couldn't help but smile at her shyness. "Well, Yukino I can't bring Aries out right now because I'm out of magic." The girl's shoulders slumped at that. "But, how does this sound? I've still got a week here in Crocus before I need to go home. How does a whole week of Celestial Spirit Magic with me sound? I can let you meet the rest of my spirits, and I can even teach you some summoning basics if you'd like." Lucy made no mention of joining Fairy Tail. It just didn't feel right to ask her after the ordeal she'd just been through. Once the week was over she'd let Yukino decide.

Yukino's eyes lit up like the glow of a spirit crossing into reality. She stared open-mouthed at Lucy and began to nod her head furiously, unable to produce anything close to words. It wasn't often the opportunity of a lifetime just happened to drop into someone's lap and Yukino wasn't quite sure how to process it. She looked up at Sid, begging him silently to tell her what to do. He looked down at her with as much a grin on his face as she'd ever seen.

"Just say 'yes'," the bear-like man whispered into her ear.

The keys in Sid's shop had always attracted her, but she'd never worked up the courage to actually try and use them. To fail would have hurt too much. She lost her family, her village; everything. To find out if she was unable to even summon the spirits she desperately longed for was a choice too terrifying to make. But now, here was someone willing to help her make that choice. Yukino turned to Lucy, the Celestial Mage who just happened to show up at her doorstep and offer her a chance at learning the magic she'd always yearned for. She mustered the little courage she had and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself enough to speak. She met Lucy's eyes and took a little courage from the expectant smile beaming at her.

"Yes please."

* * *

 **Fight Scene outta nowhere! Even when she's loading boxes Lucy somehow manages to attract baddies. That's my first attempt at actually writing a fight so hopefully it turned out alright. It's a lot of fun thinking up a fight involving Lucy what with all the different ways she can use spirits and the way their magics can interact, so I'll try to get creative with those in the future (there will be more fights, this is Fairy Tail after all :D ). Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed the chapter. On to reviews.**

 **Guests- As to where Yukino's gonna end up. My lips are sealed. And yes, I think a little Yukino would be adorable as all heck too :)**

 **Selet- Nice analysis! I won't say yes or no to anything because spoilers and all that. But it's awesome to see you reading into the story like that!**

 **Until next time folks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Just a little foreword:**

 **I like to call this chapter "Story time with Sid." That guy can really talk when he wants to.**

* * *

Yukino woke up, worry and excitement flooding through her in equal measure. The past week was one of the best in her life. Lucy had kept her promise and spent the entire week letting her meet all the spirits she was contracted with. Their quirky personalities and outlandish appearances were everything she'd always dreamt of when she thought about spirits. Aquarius kind of scared her though. The clothes she'd worn that day still hadn't dried out yet. But today was going to be special. It was Lucy's last day in Crocus before her job ended and she was going to try and teach Yukino how to summon a spirit. Frankly Yukino was close to panic.

She'd never worked up the courage to try and summon a spirit on her own. The keys in Sid's shop were always there, practically begging to be used. But every time she reached towards them something held her back. It was widely accepted across Fiore that only about a tenth of the population could use magic. Literally holding the key to becoming a mage and not being able to do anything with it was a possibility she didn't want to even consider. But it lingered in her mind and taunted her every time she caught the smallest glimpse of a key.

Yukino dressed herself in the too-big clothes that had become her wardrobe of choice over the years. Sid constantly offered to buy her better-fitting clothes but she always refused. There was something comforting in the sleeves that passed her hands and the baggy pants that she had to hem up around her ankles. Yukino was very shy, meeting most questions directed at her with nods or short and quick answers. Whenever she was pressed for more, it was nice to be able to retreat into the folds of her clothing for an extra measure of comfort.

The smell of breakfast wafting from below sent a rumble through her stomach. She trudged her way downstairs from her small bedroom, feet leaden with trepidation for the coming day. She heard the sounds of clinking silverware and the small buzz of conversation, too quiet to hear what was actually being said. Stepping down into Sid's parlor she was greeted by the sight that had become the norm for that week.

Lucy sat at the table with Sid in the kitchen. She wore the same jacket she'd sported on the first day they'd met, along with a bright blue skirt whose length Yukino felt questionable at best. Sid cooked up platefuls of bacon and eggs Lucy scarfed them down in equal measure. Yukino remembered vividly the first time Lucy had eaten breakfast with them. The first bite had sent tears sliding down her cheeks and Lucy proceeded to completely devour everything placed in front of her. It made Yukino wonder exactly what kind of lifestyle Lucy led that made her so reverent towards a simple breakfast. The rest of the room was in order as always. Pictures on the wall, chairs by the fireplace, and Sid's big cabinet in the corner where it always was.

Lucy saw Yukino and gave her a cheery grin, waving her over to the table. A bit of the worry that plagued her seemed to melt away. Being around Lucy had that effect on her. She was so confident in herself as a Celestial Mage and in Yukino's potential to become one that Yukino couldn't help but be swept along.

"So how're you feeling Yukino?" Lucy mumbled through a mouthful of eggs. "You ready for the big day?"

A small nod was all Yukino managed to get out as she picked at the plate Sid placed in front of her. The normally delicious breakfast tasted rubbery as she tried to force the food into her stomach. She didn't want any of Sid's food to go to waste just because she was nervous. By the time she finished her one plate, Lucy had somehow gone through seconds and thirds. How Lucy managed to keep her figure while inhaling so much food was a mystery that completely baffled her.

She watched Lucy wipe her mouth on the sleeve of her jacket and jump to her feet. It was funny how much energy she had. Most would have figured it was her learning something new rather than the young girl whose nerves were wound so tight it was a miracle she could even move. Yukino followed Lucy's lead, slowly getting up and walking her plate over to Sid for him to wash. She silently placed it on the counter and moved to walk back towards Lucy, who was bouncing in place with a giant grin on her face. But she was stopped by a massive hand on her shoulder.

"Don't think about it too much kiddo." Sid said. "If anyone's gonna be able to summon a spirit it's you."

"But what if I can't even use magic?" Yukino asked quietly, voicing the fear that had plagued her. "What if the Spirit doesn't want to answer me?"

"Of course you've got magic. Everyone does. Most folk just never bother to learn how to use it," Sid answered matter-of-factly. "And any spirit'd be lucky to contract with you. Lucy told me hers had nothing but good things to say about you."

"Even Aquarius?"

Sid gave her the half-smile that she'd learned equated to a hearty laugh in any other person. "Don't worry 'bout her. She doesn't say nice things 'bout anyone. Just listen to Lucy and believe that it will work. Half of summoning is being confident that the spirit will answer your call."

"Wow Sid, you sure you even need me to teach her? You seem to have a pretty good handle on all this stuff yourself," Lucy teased from across the room.

Sid waved her off dismissively. "You live with Celestial Mages long enough you pick up a thing or two. Never actually tried it myself."

"Well Yukino, much as he's trying to deny it Sid's got it right. If you don't believe it will work, then it won't. But first, we've gotta show you how to use magic. And on that note…" Lucy left the sentence hanging. She shot an expectant look at Sid, leaving Yukino confused. Behind her, Sid shuffled past her, moving towards the closet in the corner of the room. Yukino had never actually seen him open it before, but sometimes he would just stare at it with a melancholy look on his face. She'd always wondered what he actually kept in there but he never answered her when she asked.

Apparently today was different though. He whipped open the door with a little more force than necessary and rummaged around inside, bringing out a black box. He returned slowly, opening the box with an unreadable expression on his face. Kneeling in front of her, Sid showed her the contents. Pictures of a younger Sid stared back at her. But what truly captured her interest was the smaller box, its lock sparkling with golden flecks of light. The knots in her stomach loosened as she stared at the glow. Something about it seemed to call out to her, beckoning her to come closer.

Suddenly oblivious to the other two in the room, Yukino picked up the smaller box. It was light, but there was definitely something inside. And whatever it was, she wanted it. The lock held fast against her attempts to open it though. No matter how she wiggled and worked the box, the lock defied her. She looked up at Sid, expecting him to pull out the key. He just stared back at her with that same blank expression on his face, offering no help. Lucy stood behind him, arms crossed and lips pursed in concentration. Like Yukino her eyes were homed in on the box, and her hands twitched as though she herself was the one trying to pry it open.

Yukino thought about just handing over the mysterious little case, but something stopped her. She was certain Lucy could open it easily, but handing it over felt wrong. Whatever was inside belonged to her, and she was going to get it. She moved with no real intention, placing her hand over the lock. It was warm; much warmer than the rest of the box. But there was something off about it. Somehow she _felt_ the inner mechanisms of the lock as clearly as if she were touching them. It felt so close to perfect, but there was just one little cog out of place. One area that was slightly colder than the rest, breaking the uniform lock. All she needed to do was bring that area back to normal and the box would open.

But how? There was no key, and her fingers were much too big to reach in the lock. Her frustration built as she stared down the box. It was _so close._ The contents' call echoed louder and louder in her head, pushing her on. Her nerves and fears since that morning were completely forgotten, banished by the irresistible need to find out what was inside the box. Warmth began to blossom in her chest, the same feeling as in the lock. It grew and spread through her, flowing like a roaring tide into her extremities. It felt amazing, like somebody had just ripped off a blindfold she'd never known she wore. The solution instantly came into her head, so obvious she was shocked she hadn't seen it before.

Yukino pressed down on the lock, willing the heat that flowed through her towards her hand and into the lock. It responded grudgingly, slowly moving away from her chest but seeming to push back against her intentions the entire time. Beads of sweat formed on her head as she forced the flow of energy where she wanted it. The lock eagerly lapped up the heat from her fingers, and she felt the cold space inside warm to match the rest. The cold space equilibrated with its surroundings and Yukino felt a thrill of satisfaction when she was rewarded by a small shift in the inner workings of the lock. The tiny sound of a bell echoed through the room, miniscule in strength but so pure in sound that it was impossible not to listen. And the lock clicked open in her hands.

Two things happened immediately. The surge of energy she'd felt while holding the box vanished completely, leaving behind only an intense rush of dizziness that left her reaching for any kind of support. The box in her hands began to fall, only to be caught by a concerned looking Sid. The support she sought came in the form of a happily squealing Lucy, who jumped forward and hoisted Yukino up in the air.

"That was amazing! I mean, I knew you'd be able to do it, but so fast! And you've never even tried before? Stache-face almighty, you're incredible Yukino!"

"Wh-what did I do?" She stammered out, fighting the groggy feeling that blanketed her mind. As much as she loved the praise, Lucy swinging her around like a ragdoll wasn't doing her nausea any favors. Also, what the heck was a stache-face?

"Magic!" Lucy screeched ecstatically. "And not just any old magic. That was pure Celestial Magic right on your first try! Oh, Spirits, yeah we've gotta try that. Sid, you said you had some-"

"Lucy you should probably put her down," Sid interrupted. "She's lookin' a little green there."

Too late. Lucy's roughhousing sent her stomach into a full blown protest against the unfair working conditions she'd subjected it to. Couple that with the backlash from her magic use and her breakfast made decided to make an unwanted reappearance. _I used magic. I'm a mage!_ Was the last thing Yukino managed to think before puking horribly all over Lucy's shirt.

…

"I'm sorry," she simpered out for maybe the thirtieth time.

They all sat in the parlor, Yukino on Sid's lap in one of his chairs while Lucy sat in the other. The mage had changed into some of Lara's old clothes that Sid kept tucked away. Instead of the tight-fitting pants or skirts Yukino normally saw her in, Lucy now wore some loose and wavy black pants with a white long-sleeve shirt.

Over the week she'd been visiting, Yukino realized something about Lucy. Somehow, she managed to wear extremely revealing clothes while being completely unaware of how little skin they actually covered. Whether it was skirts that barely passed her hips or tops that left almost nothing to the imagination, she wore them all without the slightest hint of noticing how much attention they earned her. When they'd walked together through town, Yukino was stunned at how oblivious Lucy managed to be towards the appreciative glances thrown her way by men and the jealous muttering that she spurred from girls in her wake. She didn't really mind if Lucy liked wearing stuff like that, but Lara's clothes gave her an air of maturity that the other clothing lacked. Yukino thought she was even prettier like this. _If only it wasn't because I… Oh Spirits why?_

"I'm sorry," she hiccupped again.

"Seriously Yukino, it's fine. I should've guessed you'd have a little backlash from your first time. Plus, trust me on this. I've seen way, waaay worse than this. At least this time it didn't burn me."

"Burn you?" Sid asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Anyway!" Lucy announced with a clap of her hands. "Now that we've _moved on_ from that whole ordeal, Yukino you're probably wondering what the heck just happened, right?" Her tone brooked no room for continuing any vomit-related talk.

Relieved that her incident was being consigned to the grave, Yukino let spill the questions that had been building up since she'd performed magic. "Well, um, yes. What was that box? Why did I want to open it so bad? _How_ did I open it?" The questions spilled out in an uncontrolled flood as she remembered the strange but wonderful feeling that had filled her. "Did, did I really use magic?" She asked with a faint squeak of hope.

Yukino watched Lucy shoot a pointed look over her eyes at Sid. She felt his weight shift underneath her as he brought out the box that had somehow commanded her entire attention. He held the box, now unlocked but still closed in front of her.

"This," he said fondly, "belonged to Lara." Yukino relaxed a bit more in Sid's lap, trying to get comfortable. Sid rarely talked about his late wife, mentioning her on only a few occasions since they'd lived together. And when he did, he did more than just mention her. He could talk for hours about her. She thought it was beautiful how much he cared for her, but it was best to find a spot you didn't mind sitting in for a while whenever Lara came up. She found a good spot with her head nestled comfortably against Sid's chest as he continued.

"Found it during an escort mission for some of the capital's researchers. They were looking into some ancient ruins covered in designs of Celestial Spirits. Stars, constellations, keys, anything you could think of. So of course the military sent its resident Spirit Mage and her tagalong husband for the trip."

"And these ruins are _where_ exactly?" Lucy asked innocently with a look that screamed anything but simple curiosity. Yukino looked at him excitedly, forgetting her own questions in favor of the story about Spirits.

"Oh over yonder," Sid answered noncommittally with a lazy point of his finger, earning a pout from the two girls. "Anyway, we were searching around and suddenly Lara sprints away towards a building they cordoned off. Jumped clear over the fence and darted inside before any of us could even blink. I chased after her but before I even got halfway there she walks out like nothing ever happened. Didn't even answer me when I asked her what the hell she was doing. She just laughed and said it was a secret."

Sid began drumming his fingers on the box as he recited the story with a far off look in his eyes. "Other than that, the rest of the mission went off without a hitch. We did our job, got back to our stations here in Crocus and I cooked our post-mission dinner; duck and potatoes in case you were wondering. Haven't seen anyone put away food like Lara till you came along Lucy."

Yukino giggled at Sid's digression. He was usually no-nonsense and straight to the point, but whenever he talked about Lara he'd go off-topic and just start talking about how amazing she was and the things they did together. It was obvious to anyone how much he loved her. She saw Lucy's eyes darting between her and Sid; a huge grin on her face. _Why do I feel like I'm missing something here?_ Yukino wondered.

"Anyway, we sit down, have our food, talk about the mission yadda yadda. All that stuff. Then she just whips this thing out of nowhere and looks at me with the smuggest expression you've ever seen. Tells me to open it. I tried for twenty bloody minutes to open this infernal thing. Took some pliers to it; nothing. Crowbar; not a scratch. Eventually I got sick of the thing and just decided to break it. Got my sledgehammer, swung away and next thing you know I'm down one hammer and the box is completely fine. Lara walked up, grabbed the thing and just popped it open. Still bitter about that hammer by the way."

"It opens in response to Celestial Spirit Magic, doesn't it?" Lucy asked excitedly.

"Bingo. And not just that. It's got some weird attraction on it that draws Celestial Spirit mages towards it. That's how she knew where to find it in those ruins. Saw it in you when I showed you the other box Lucy."

"True. The second I saw it I wanted to tear the lid off. Lucky for you I'm a bastion of self-control and composure," Lucy answered, pointing her nose in the air, earning a grunt from Sid and a laugh from Yukino.

"I tried to tell her to return it since stealing an artifact from the ruins was _technically_ illegal. To put in in her words, 'This was made for Spirit Mages and like hell I'm gonna let those pinheads put it in a glass box so they can drool over how magnificent they are for finding something they can't even use.'"

"I like your wife, Sid." Lucy said cheekily.

Yukino nodded along in agreement. Putting Celestial Spirit Magic somewhere nobody could use it was definitely more of a crime than taking it out of the ruins without asking. _But something's weird about that,_ Yukino thought.

"Um, Sid?" She asked tentatively.

"Hm, what's up kiddo?"

"You said it attracted Celestial Spirit Mages, right?"

"That I did."

"Well, if it attracts Celestial Spirit Mages why did I want to open it so badly? I mean, I love Spirits but I'm not actually a Celestial Spirit Mage." Yukino twiddled her fingers around nervously, as the question hung in the air.

Sid laughed at that. _Wait, Sid laughed? He never laughs! What's so funny about that?_ Yukino thought indignantly. "What's so funny?" She tried to mimic the icy look she saw Lucy shoot at the Skull Rose members, but that only seemed to make him laugh more. So she resorted to drastic measures. She whipped her hand out of her overlong sleeve and relentlessly poked him in his stomach until he managed to stop laughing and regain his composure.

"Ok, ok I give. Stop with the jabbing. And no more death glares. This old man can only take so many mean looks a day." He said, rubbing the spot where Yukino had rained down her tiny blows. "Yukino I told you before you even tried to open the box that if anyone could summon spirits it'd be you. Remember?"

"Well, yeah. I thought you were just encouraging me." Yukino twiddled her thumbs nervously as the conversation redirected back towards her.

Sid nodded at that. "Well, a little. But more than that I knew you had Celestial Magic buried in there somewhere," he said with a tap of one his giant fingers on Yukino's chest. "I don't think you've even noticed it, but every time you walk past that cabinet you stare at it hard enough to burn holes in it. Every time. I'm guessing the only reason you didn't take the thing apart to find the box was because you hadn't actually used any magic yet."

"Wait, I do?" Yukino asked, shocked that she had never noticed it before. "Really?"

"Yeah I've noticed it too," Lucy added. "I've actually caught myself doing it a couple of times without thinking. That thing really packs a wallop for a little lock."

"Oh." Yukino was dumbfounded. She'd never even once noticed herself staring at the cabinet. Sure she knew how many screws were in each doorhinge and about the scratch on the side facing the wall you could only see if you happened to be looking at _just_ the right angle and about the… _Ok maybe I do look at it a lot._

"First couple times I saw it I thought you were just curious. This'd be back when you were a little tyke. But then it kept happening and happening. Then one day you came home and talked my ear off about spirits and I figured it was inevitable. I don't know what it is but I seem to attract Celestial Mages more than that box," Sid grunted thoughtfully.

"Aww is that such a bad thing?" Lucy teased playfully.

Yukino felt Sid's arm wrap around her and she snuggled back into his chest. It wasn't often that Sid displayed any affection, but she enjoyed every minute when he did.

"'Course not." He mumbled.

"Didn't think so." Lucy said definitively. "So we've established that Yukino is an amazing Celestial Spirit Mage." Yukino blushed at that, not quite sure how she qualified as amazing. "Now Yukino, I have a question for you. You don't have to answer now and frankly I should've asked you earlier but there was the thing with Skull Rose and then we were having such a good time through the week and you were having so much fun and you hadn't even used magic yet and-"

"The point, Lucy," Sid chided as she rambled. Seeing Lucy go on like that was a shock to Yukino. Normally she just said whatever she wanted without reserve. But now she looked nervous, clenching her fingers with one hand and tapping her foot while her eyes darted around nervously.

"Right, right." Lucy's took a deep breath and her eyes focused back onto Yukino, staring with an intensity she hadn't seen since the first day they'd met. She held up her right hand, displaying the pink mark tattooed on the back. Apparently it was a guild symbol, marking Lucy as a member of Fairy Tail. Yukino remembered vague mutterings about a tragedy that befell the powerful guild, but had never really paid them any attention. All she knew about Fairy Tail was that Lucy was still a member. Lucy took in a shuddering breath and continued on.

"Yukino, I'm just gonna come right out and say it. Tomorrow I'm going back to Magnolia and my guild." Yukino nodded sadly. As much as she wished Lucy would stay longer, it wouldn't be fair to ask her to extend her stay. But that left Yukino with a problem. Even if she could use magic now, she had absolutely no clue how to actually summon a spirit. If it was any different than opening a lock specifically designed to be opened by Celestial Spirit Magic, she was completely in the dark. And there was no way she could afford to pay for an actual teacher. Her mood darkened as she realized the enormity of the task in front of her. Even having been handed the key to magic, she still couldn't seem to turn it by herself. _Life isn't fair,_ she thought morbidly.

"Would you like to join Fairy Tail?" Lucy blurted out, leaving the question hanging in the air.

"Eh- what?" Yukino asked in shock.

"I know it's kinda out of the blue and it's a big decision," Lucy hurriedly continued, as if stopping would wind up with Yukino rejecting her offer. "But you've got a real talent for Celestial Magic if that box is anything to go by, and you care about Spirits just as much as me. I want you to be able to realize your potential. Now I'm not the greatest mage out there but I know a lot about Celestial Magic, and if you join then I could teach you everything I know, and you can go on adventures and make friends and go to all sorts of places and, and…" Lucy trailed off, breathing heavily as though she'd just fought off some invisible foe that tried desperately to hold her back.

Yukino tried to process what just happened. She'd been offered not only a place in a magical guild, but an apprenticeship under Lucy, who epitomized exactly what she thought a Celestial Spirit Mage should be. It was simply too good to be true. It was everything she'd always wanted. But joining meant leaving Crocus, leaving behind the people who'd taken her in after she'd lost everything. _I can't just leave. Not after everything they've done for me._

"For what it's worth kiddo, I think you should do it." As he tended to do, Sid interjected right when Yukino started thinking in martyr mode. "You ain't ever gonna get another chance like this one handed to you. I say take it."

"I- I want to." Yukino's voice was tiny as she buried her face in the folds of her sweater. Lucy's eyes lit up at her answer. "I really, _really_ want to. But if I leave I couldn't pay back everything you've done Sid. It wouldn't be-"

"Yukino!" Sid's voice took on a hard edge that Yukino rarely heard. Only when something truly angered him did he take such a stern tone. He picked her up and turned her so that she sat on his lap, directly facing him. "Look at me. You think I raised you to get something back? For a return on my investment? Hm?" His eyes bored down into her from above, and no matter what she couldn't seem to avert her eyes and hide away. "Well?"

"I-I don't-," Yukino stammered at his intensity, not sure what she'd said to make him so angry. Did he not want her to stay? That thought hurt more than anything. Even if they weren't actually related, Sid was the closest thing she had to family. Even if he rarely spoke out and wasn't the most interactive person, he never made her feel unwanted or unneeded. "I just- it wouldn't be fair," Yukino whispered finally.

"What wouldn't?" Sid asked, his voice low and controlled though his eyes burned with anger.

"If I just leave it wouldn't be fair!" Yukino somehow managed to find her voice, yelling as tears formed in her eyes. "You gave me everything I have. I can't just leave and give you nothing back. I don't-, I don't want you to think I don't care about it." Yukino hiccupped and sobbed as she tried to make Sid understand. She appreciated the things he'd done for her too much to just go off and do whatever she wanted. She couldn't just leave him all alone to go follow her dreams. "It wouldn't be fair."

The next thing she knew she was buried in Sid's chest, his arms wrapped tight around her. "Honestly, you're too nice for your own good kiddo." He gently patted her on the back, letting her get the sobs and tears out. Yukino wrapped her hands in his shirt, not really listening but happy he didn't sound angry anymore. As her hiccups stopped, she felt the pressure on her back lessen as he let go. Sid brought his hands up to her face, cupping her cheeks and nearly encompassing her entire head.

"Yukino, I want you to listen to me. At first, I took you in 'cause you had nobody. Didn't think you'd stay with me for long, and frankly wasn't lookin' forward to takin' care of a kid." Yukino eyes widened through her tears. Sid always made her feel better when she was crying. If that's what he was trying to do he was going about it in a really weird way. "But you needed somebody to take care of you and it ended up being me. And now, I'm damn glad it was."

The serious expression on Sid's face softened as he looked at her, and his voice quieted as he continued. "I remember the first time you smiled. I didn't think you ever would after what you'd gone through. But then one day I woke up to explosions coming from the store. Sprinted down to see what happened and there you were, laughing your head off like a little maniac. Somehow you managed to figure out how to work the magic firecrackers and decided to set off as many as you possibly could." Yukino blushed furiously at the idea. She didn't remember doing that at all.

"I shoulda been angry, shoulda told you off for touching stuff without permission. But I couldn't. You just looked so dang happy. And I don't know what it was, but seeing you like that, it changed my mind. I decided right then that this dinky little shop would be a place where you could be happy. And I'd like to think I did an alright job of it."

"You did," Yukino answered immediately.

Sid smiled at that, and gave Yukino another quick hug before he began again. "And I'm glad for that. But if you don't take this chance, you'll always wonder what your life could've been. You'll start to resent this place, and the chance it took away from you. That would hurt me much more than you going to join a guild."

"But, you'll be all alone," Yukino pleaded with him. She just wanted him to be happy, and as much as he'd deny it Sid could get lonely just like everyone else.

"Yup. But that's something that was bound to happen. This is just a little earlier than expected. Kiddo, more than anything I just want you to be happy. Yukino, what's your dream? Don't think about me, or this store, or any imaginary payback you think you owe. What do you want more than anything?"

She thought, and the answer came to her immediately. It wasn't hard to decide. All the hours she'd spent staring at the wall in the back of the store, covered in twinkling keys like the stars they summoned. The trips to the library to try and find the old dusty books detailing the constellations. And the thrill she'd felt when she used magic for the first time. It was everything she wanted. And now that her dream was within reach, it would be that much more painful to let go of.

"I want to be a Celestial Spirit Mage." Her voice shuddered a bit, but it was firm and final.

Sid nodded approvingly, picking her up and turning her back to face towards Lucy. "Good, but I'm not the one who needs to hear it."

Yukino looked up at Lucy, the loud and beautiful mage who showed up out of nowhere to gift her with a chance few others were lucky enough to get. She had a strange look on her face as she watched them. If anything, she looked sad. But it quickly passed and she returned to normal, looking at Yukino hopefully. Yukino straightened out her sweater and did her best to look Lucy square in the eyes, hoping to appear confident. She walked over to Lucy who knelt down and looked at her at eye-level.

"I want to be a Celestial Spirit Mage," she repeated, stronger this time. "Will you please teach me Lucy?"

Lucy smiled and extended her hand with her guild mark on it. "I would love to. Would you like to join Fairy Tail Yukino?"

Yukino shook her hand out of its sleeve and jumped out of Sid's lap to meet Lucy's hand. She grasped it and shook as hard as she could with her tiny hand. "Yes please."

…

Lucy couldn't believe it. She'd taken on a student and gotten Fairy Tail a new recruit in the process. A simple mining job wound up in one of the most life-changing and off-the-cuff decisions she'd ever made. And she felt amazing. Shaking Yukino's hand, she saw the same look of fear and excitement on the girl's face she'd sported when Natsu had dragged her to Fairy Tail almost three years ago. Thankfully this time there wasn't a squadron of city guards calling for their blood.

She was going to be a teacher. The feeling still hadn't completely sunk in, and she was still sorting through how she felt about it. Nervous? Absolutely. Terrified that things might go horribly wrong? One hundred percent yes. But strangely enough, for the first time since the Tenrou tragedy she embraced those feelings. It felt like whenever her team would drag her off for another one of their hare-brained missions. Anything and everything could, and probably would go wrong. But that was what she loved so much about the insane guild that had become her home.

Her path, and now Yukino's, weren't set in stone. There weren't any suitors coming to give her the once over and decide if she was pretty enough to be worth marrying. No lessons to be taken on becoming a _proper_ heir. Just her and a young girl whose eyes shone with hope for a future she was determined to give her. Yukino would face challenges in learning magic, everyone did. But she wouldn't be alone. She'd have all of Fairy Tail there for her, even if all of Fairy Tail wasn't there. Not to mention any Spirits she'd contract with. And speaking of contracts…

"Sid?" Lucy asked as she and Yukino dropped their hands. "Now that we've got her answer, I believe you mentioned a little gift for Fairy Tail's newest member?" She had tried to talk with Sid privately during the week, giving ideas for how she would try to bring out any magic Yukino possessed. Sid had casually brushed her off and told her to leave it to him. She hadn't expected the box trick he pulled, but it worked amazingly. He'd also mentioned that he had the perfect keys to get her started.

"Yup. Here ya go kiddo. Lara told me she wanted these passed on to someone who'd care for them as much as she did." Sid handed the box to Yukino who eagerly took it and began fiddling with the lid. It was cute, seeing the reserved girl go after the box with such gusto. Whatever spell was on it that attracted Celestial Mages must have felt irresistible to her now that she'd unlocked her magic. Lucy wondered idly what keys Sid planned to give her. A Canis Minor key would definitely be good for a beginner. No huge magically draining abilities that could endanger her and a nice companion for a young girl. Not much use on missions, but any missions where she'd need to actually fight were a long way off.

Yukino's back was to her, so she couldn't quite make out which keys were in the box as Yukino flipped open the lid. All she saw was Yukino stiffen up in shock as she looked inside. The girl began shaking, looking up at Sid with disbelief in her eyes as her eyes darted between him and the box. The bear-like man only gave her a knowing half-smile and a nod as an answer. Lucy craned her neck, trying to see what had freaked out Yukino so much. Her answer came when Yukino spun around towards her, stammering unintelligibly. Her eyes were opened to the size of saucer plates, her face flushed a dark maroon. The contents of the box made Lucy understand why.

"Sid," Lucy whispered hoarsely. "I thought you said you had some keys to get her started."

"Yup. Don't think you can get a much better start than this." It was obvious he was trying not to laugh at her open-mouthed shock, but she didn't care. There was no Canis Minor key. In fact, there was no sign of silver anywhere. The box was lined with deep purple velvet, a soft cushion taking up the entire bottom space. There were depressions fitted inside it, thirteen of them in total. Most were empty, whatever they held long gone. But two were not. In the third and tenth depressions sat two golden keys.

The Zodiac Keys were some of the rarest magical artifacts in Earthland. Their power drew in Celestial Mages, their value drew merchants and thieves, and their rarity brought in collectors from around the world who'd shell out Spirits know how many Jewel just to say they own them. And now, two sat in the hands of a girl who had just today discovered she could use magic. Lucy thought that just perfect.

"No kidding," Lucy breathed out. "Congratulations Yukino. You've got two of the most powerful Gate Keys in existence and it's your first day. At this rate you'll probably be teaching me in a month."

Yukino let out a tiny squeal and gripped the box and her newly obtained keys to her chest. She turned to Sid, mouthing something with no sound coming out. She turned back towards Lucy, still unable to articulate. She stared between them and the box with awe and incomprehension adorning her face. And promptly passed out.

Lucy darted over, catching her before she hit the ground. Yukino's hands kept their iron-clad grip on the box, holding it tight even in unconsciousness. She wore the biggest grin Lucy had seen from the girl since they'd met just a week prior. A week ago she'd been bogged down in worries over rent and her guild's financial status. Every day was just another chance to earn more money and try to escape the Sisyphean task of abolishing Fairy Tail's debts.

Now here she was holding her unconscious student with absolutely no plans for how tomorrow would go and no clue whether anything would work out. And for the first time in two years, she felt excited for what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

 **Yeah, that was a long one. I had a lot I wanted to put in these scenes and felt like splitting them up into chapters would feel kinda awkward. The goal's to get good enough at writing to get that word count down without losing anything important along the way. But we're inching forward. Yukino's officially joining the guild and Lucy's got to try and figure out how the heck to be a teacher. Looking forward to writing about those misadventures. Anyway, we've got one more (long) chapter to go before we get back to Magnolia and see how Fairy Tail's held up over the past two years.**

 **Do you guys like the longer chapters or should we cut them down? Should there be more explosions and wackiness a la Fairy Tail? Will pure, innocent Yukino be corrupted by Lucy's fashion sense? I guess we'll see as we go along.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7- In which Jobs are Completed and Streets are Broken

The sharp clink of jostling coins accompanied Lucy as she skipped down the main drag of Fiore's capital. Collecting the money from her job had gone off without a hitch. The client was a middle-aged woman bored of life and with too much money to burn. The type of woman who used to show up at the Heartfilia estate and bore her to death with tales of the beauty she once possessed and the men's hearts she once captured. She'd learned from a young age the best way to deal with them was to just smile and nod, as if their long-lost love lives had some meaning to anyone but themselves.

And it literally payed off. With a million jewel happily chiming in tune with her footsteps Lucy couldn't help but grin at the unexpected turn her life had taken in only a week. She'd gone from broke and hungry to well-fed and rolling in sweet, sweet Jewel. And the best part of it all? She'd somehow managed to find herself a student and recruit for Fairy Tail. Today she'd be going home, and for the first time in two years she wouldn't be making the trip alone. _Spirits, I forgot how great that feels._

Humming and spinning her way lazily through the streets and vendors, Lucy meandered back towards Sid's shop. She wore Lara's clothes that Sid had given her the day before. She'd left the rest of her meager belongings at his house while she went to finish the job, planning to pick them and Yukino up together. The only things she carried were her keys and whip, reluctant to part with it since the Skull Rose incident. She wasn't in any particular hurry. The train line between Magnolia and Crocus was one of the busiest in the kingdom, and had departures throughout the day. Pretty soon she'd officially be teaching Yukino how to be a Celestial Mage and all the ins and outs of being an official guild wizard.

 _Now how in the heck am I gonna do that?_ Lucy wondered. As much as she tried to look confident in front of her new pupil, she was really just winging this whole teacher business. She still felt that teachers had something she lacked. Her mother was always calm and poised when giving her lessons. Her tutors, annoying as some of them had been, were experts at their chosen subjects. And what was she? Definitely not poised and composed. The last time things went wrong she'd gotten in a screaming match with a mountain, lost horribly, and then been maidhandled into losing her guts.

And as for magic expertise, that was a whole different beast. She wasn't afraid to say she knew more about Celestial Magic than most people. How many others could claim to have more than half the Zodiac clipped to their waste? Even if she didn't know how exactly she was going to go about it, she felt confident that she was at least passable on that front. But magic was so much more than just her chosen specialty. If Yukino started asking questions outside her little bubble of magical knowledge she'd lose face as a teacher. She wouldn't be Lucy the cool, collected Celestial Spirit Mage. She'd be Lucy, a naïve rookie mage in way over her head.

 _Bad Lucy,_ she thought, clapping her hands to her face. _Yukino wants to learn from you, and dammit you're gonna teach her. Now you're gonna get back and be mature and in control._

"I am a paragon of confidence, a beacon of knowledge for my aspiring protégé to follow and learn from."Lucy pumped her first and straightened her back, feeling a fire building in her stomach at her own pep talk. "I am mature. I am calm and collected. When people ask me a question I've got the perfect answer. I don't lose my temper because a stupid mountain decided to laugh at me."

"Glad to hear it." Lucy whipped her head up, a blood rushing to her face as she realized exactly where she was. Without realizing it she'd managed to make it all the way back to Sid's shop. And she'd decided to spout off all that in front of the amused face of the store owner.

Sid stood outside his shop in an apron, sweeping detritus from the front entrance. Lucy looked around quickly, hoping that nobody else, especially her so-called protégé was there to see that. Thankfully there was no sign of a bob of white hair. Or the face of a child whose dreams of a competent and put-together teacher were ruthlessly destroyed. "After all…," he said with mirth evident in his voice.

"Please don't," Lucy pleaded in mortification.

"Sure is great to hear Yukino's got a paragon of confidence to teach her," Sid continued mercilessly. "Don't find many of those around nowadays. Not to mention one so mature."

"Stop."

"So calm and collected."

"Please, I get it."

"And who's such a beacon of knowledge for her young-"

"OK!" Lucy shouted, jumping forward and slapping her hands over Sid's mouth before he could say anything else. Any more and she felt like her head might pop from all he blood rushing to it. Lucy made a mental note to contain all future self-help talks to the soundproof safety within Horologium. Sid wrapped one of his massive hands around hers, removing them gently from his face while he softly chuckled.

"Relax. Yukino's inside gettin' her stuff together. Didn't hear a word of your little speech there." Lucy breathed out a sigh of relief. She didn't need to worry about trying to act like a dignified teacher in front of just Sid. He'd already seen her get spanked into sanity by a pissed off mermaid. Dignity would be a little hard to come by after that.

"Thank Stache-face. I don't want her thinking I'm as nervous about this as I actually am." Lucy thought back on Sid's talk with Yukino. He'd addressed her worries and gotten rid of them, maybe he could help with hers. The only other alternative was Aquarius, and she didn't have any other changes of clothes. A train ride back to Magnolia soaked to the bone sounded about as appealing as riding a rollercoaster full of dragon slayers.

Sid looked at her quizzically, as though she'd just started speaking another language. He began sweeping the pavers again, slowly and methodically moving the debris away. "Why? Nothin' wrong with being nervous. Happens to everyone."

 _All right, that didn't help at all._ "Yeah, but I'm her _teacher_ now. I'm supposed to have all the answers. I'm supposed to be… I don't know but it's not me."

"And not knowing is bad, right?" Sid asked.

"Yes!" Lucy shouted. She began pacing in front of Sid, her feet slapping against the cold stone pavers. Her frustration lent her speed, and the swift staccato of steps echoed off the shops around her. "Yukino's about to jump into a whole new world, and I'm the only one she'll know. I should be able to help her out if she's got questions. You know, lead her like a teacher's supposed to do. But I-," her pacing stopped, the brief spurt of energy dying out as quickly as it came.

She didn't know what she was hoping to accomplish by venting to Sid. Friend or not, telling an overprotective father (adopted or otherwise) that he was leaving his daughter in the hands of someone wholly incapable probably wasn't the best start to her career as a magic teacher.

"But you've never done something like this before and you're scared the people relying on ya will think you're not worth listening to?" Sid offered, his broom still making steady progress against the litter in front of the store.

"Good guess," Lucy moaned. She rubbed her temples, trying to relax the growing tension in her skull. "So you got any advice on how _not_ to do that?"

"How to be a good teacher right off the bat, huh." Sid stopped his sweeping and thoughtfully rubbed his beard. "Yeah, not a chance. My guess is you'll royally screw up within a week." _Ok, maybe getting smacked by Aquarius wouldn't be so bad._

"Ok, so advice is this thing where you _help_ me," Lucy whined, the headache growing worse. "Not tell me how much I'm gonna suck."

Sid just kept on sweeping, blatantly ignoring Lucy's complaints. "But you will. Everyone does when they first start leading folk." Sid stopped his sweeping and gave Lucy his full attention.

"My first mission as sergeant was when I was twenty. I was leading a buncha rookies who couldn't've been much younger than me. They all looked to me for orders 'cause I had a badge sewed on my shirt they didn't."

Lucy listened raptly. Sid hadn't mentioned anything about his military days other than things having to do with Lara. And anything to take her mind off her nerves was welcome at this point.

"We had to patrol a little town. Nothin' special. Just a cakewalk to get my feet wet in the leader's spot. What we didn't expect was a dark guild using the place as their hideout." Sid gripped the broom so hard Lucy was sure it would splinter, but he kept going without missing a beat.

"I should've retreated and reported it. But I didn't want to look like a coward in front of my first unit. I ordered an attack. It didn't work. My first order as a leader got six men killed."

"Spirits, Sid. I-" Lucy tried to say something, but Sid held up his hand, cutting her off.

"I thought if I just faked being a confident leader, things would work out. Obviously they didn't." Sid took a deep breath and the dark expression on his face vanished, replaced by his usual tacit demeanor.

"But I didn't screw up the same way again. That's really all you can do. Learn from your mistakes. You're gonna make a lot of them. Remember, you're learning to be a teacher just as much as Yukino's learning to be a mage."

"Learn to be a teacher, huh," Lucy mused. It was almost poetic in a way. Learning from her own student while trying to be a teacher herself. The thought was appealing in its own way. Her and Yukino both stumbling along trying to figure things out as they went. Honestly it sounded a lot more fun than everything working out perfectly.

"You know, you're actually pretty good at this advice thing, Sid." Lucy flashed him a grin, feeling slightly better. She wasn't looking forward to her inevitable screw-ups, but they didn't feel as menacing anymore.

Sid waved off her thanks. "I'm just old. You pick up this stuff when you're hair starts turning gray."

"But seriously, thanks. I'm glad I didn't have to wait _that_ long to figure it out." If Yukino had to wait until Lucy's hair turned gray before getting to learn she'd be a student for a long time. _At least I hope so,_ Lucy thought idly, her finger running through her blonde locks.

"You'd have figured it out eventually," Sid answered dismissively. "After all…"

Lucy didn't miss the twitch of Sid's mouth underneath his beard, nor the ever-so-slight tightening of muscles around his eyes as he smirked condescendingly at her.

"I swear, I will bring out Aquarius if you-"

"This is _really_ simple stuff for a paragon of wisdom and maturity such as yourself," Sid finished triumphantly.

 _I'm never talking outside Horologium ever again._

…

Yukino heaved her suitcase to the front of the store. She plopped it down next to Lucy's meager pack, breathing heavily. Apparently jamming as many of your possessions as possible into a suitcase made it stupidly heavy. She briefly worried about how she'd get it all the way to the train station if it had winded her just bringing it down the stairs, but shoved that thought aside. If she was going to be a mage, she wouldn't let herself be beaten by a suitcase of all things.

She unzipped the suitcase, digging through the mess of clothes and a few carefully wrapped books to find what she wanted. Nestled squarely in the middle of her pack was the locked box containing her Zodiac keys. It still didn't quite feel real, but it sat right there in her hands. She couldn't help herself. She placed her hand on the lock, trying to feel inside it for the cold spot that she knew would open it.

Finding it was simple. She'd already done it once before. Moving the magic inside her towards proved an entirely different task. It still didn't want to yield to her will, but she forced it out towards her fingers. Ten seconds later and Yukino sat with the open box in her lap, sweating slightly but grinning ecstatically as she gazed at her keys.

Both were beautiful, more works of art than magical artifact. Flowing ribbons of gold surrounded the handles, each key with it is own unique patterns. The largest difference between the two was the symbols engraved on each. One had what looked like a horseshoe held upside-down over a horizontal line. The other was composed of two identical crescents, mirror images of each other with a single point of contact at their centers. Libra and Pisces, the two spirits that she was going to contract with.

"Um, hello. My name's Yukino Agria." She wasn't sure if the spirits could actually hear her without being summoned, but talking to them helped remind her she wasn't dreaming. "I- I don't really know how to summon you yet. But don't worry! Lucy's going to teach me, then I'll be able to do all sorts of Celestial Magic. So, um, please just wait until then. I promise I'll learn as fast as I can!"

She heard Lucy and Sid talking outside, and hurriedly replaced the keys in the box. She doubted Lucy would be mad that she used magic without permission, but it couldn't hurt to be safe. She closed the box, feeling it lock as she buried it underneath her clothing again. Zipping the bag, she gave it one last look before opening the door and moving outside. _I really hope they like me._

In her hurry, Yukino missed it. A soft silver glow flashed inside the bag, illuminating it from the inside out.

…

She'd thought this the day she'd met her student, but now Lucy was one hundred percent certain of something. Yukino had hauled out a suitcase nearly as large as herself, panting and groaning against its weight. When she set it down, it received a death glare loaded with all the force of an irritated puppy. She was absolutely adorable.

"All set, Yukino?" She asked. Hopefully she was. Any more luggage and the poor girl wouldn't even make it to the end of the street, much less the station.

Yukino's answer was an eager nod, too winded to actually get words out. She looped the carrying strap across her shoulder and over her chest, straining to get her luggage off the ground. She managed it, but Lucy doubted it'd last long. The girl's legs were already beginning to shake from the effort.

Her first instinct was to just throw on the bag and carry it herself, but she held back. Yukino had refused help in lifting boxes she couldn't even budge. She doubted she'd accept any help with something she actually could. "All righty then. You've got your keys?"

Yukino put her hand over the suitcase, nodding her head again. Lucy made a mental note to get her a keyring once they got back to Magnolia. It would be a real pain for her to have to carry a box around everywhere.

"Good. Remember, you're a Celestial Mage now. Our keys _are_ our magic. So long as you have them, you're never alone. So never, _ever_ lose them." Yukino nodded vigorously, eyes focused as she took in the information. _Nice one, me._ Lucy mentally patted herself on the back. She'd barely begun teaching and already gotten through Celestial Mage rule number one. Maybe she wouldn't suck as much as Sid expected.

"Ok then. Say your goodbyes and let's get moving. The sooner we get to Magnolia the sooner you get to learn magic."

Lucy really hated goodbyes, but at least this one wasn't permanent. Yukino was only a train ride away from Sid, so if she ever got homesick it wouldn't be too much of a hassle to arrange a visit. The jewel jingling at her side would definitely help. With all that money her worries over train fare seemed laughable.

Yukino somehow managed to waddle over to Sid, who swept her up in a bear hug, suitcase and all. Lucy definitely saw tears, though she was sure Sid would never admit to it. As quick as he'd swept her up, Sid plopped her down and gave her a shove in the back, sending her stumbling along towards Lucy.

Lucy grabbed her by the shoulder, offering a steadying hand against the weight on her back. Yukino gratefully accepted, leaning into the contact. It seemed she'd accept help, as long as she still got to do something. Definitely not a bad trait, but Lucy worried that it could get her in trouble on missions. _Something to work on later,_ she thought.

Lucy set off towards the station, moving at a slow pace to accommodate her student's excess baggage. Yukino struggled, but managed to keep up. They approached a turn, and a thought occurred to Lucy. Once they turned the corner Yukino would well and truly be leaving home. And all they had for a goodbye was a hug? That may be enough for Sid and Yukino, but not her. And she had the perfect way to end this goodbye on a high note.

"Hey Yukino, listen real close for a second." Lucy bent down and whispered her idea into Yukino's ear.

Her student shook her head furiously at her suggestion, but Lucy pressed on. "Just trust me. He'll love it." Doubt and embarrassment clouded her Yukino's face, but after a second she nodded. She turned back towards the shop and Sid, who remained watching and wondering what the commotion was.

Yukino took a deep breath, her fists balled up at her sides. She glanced at Lucy once more, who flashed an encouraging thumbs up at her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. And she shouted with all the force her tiny lungs could offer.

"I love you, Dad!"

And then ran around the corner, weight on her back forgotten as she sprinted away. Lucy laughed and hopped after her, chancing one last look at Sid. His eyes were covered with one hand, and his shoulders were visibly shaking even from where she stood. _Yeah,_ she thought impishly. _That was definitely better._

…

Hands on her knees, Yukino heaved in desperate lungfuls of air. Running around with her ten ton suitcase had done a number on her. But more than that, a giddy excitement flowed through her. She'd actually called Sid her father. There had always been an unspoken acceptance between the two. That despite being brought together by circumstance they were still family. She'd just never actually brought it out into the open.

"That was perfect, Yukino!" Her teacher came bounding up behind her, all grins as she knelt down. "Just be careful when we visit. The first hug after that might hurt a little."

"Are you sure?" Yukino gasped out nervously, slowly getting her breathing back under control. "He di-didn't look mad?"

"Are you kidding? Never seen anyone happier." Lucy stood up and gave her a pat on the shoulder. "You've got a real good Dad there Yukino."

 _Dad._ Just thinking the word shot a tingle of energy through her that made her feel like she could run all the way to Magnolia, suitcase and all. "Yeah. Sid-, I mean Dad's, the best." The word still felt strange running across her lips. But definitely a good strange.

"So um, Lucy?" Yukino asked. They resumed their slow plod towards the station.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"What's your Dad like?"

She may as well have punched Lucy in the face. Her chipper teacher lost the skip in her step and her eyes lost the happy sparkle they usually shone with. It was a dramatic and instant shift, and Yukino immediately regretted her question.

"I- I'm sorry!" she squeaked, terrified that Lucy would decide then and there that she didn't need a kid annoying her with dumb questions.

"No, no it's fine." Lucy waved her off, but she sounded so tired all of a sudden. "It was bound to come up eventually. I guess I haven't mentioned my last name yet, huh? My full name's Lucy Heartfilia."

Yukino's eyes shot open in surprise. Even she knew about the Heartfilia family. It was rumored that the head of the family once tried to buy out the entire luxury district of Crocus. He'd only failed because the King himself stepped in to stop the purchase. And Lucy was a part of that family?

" _Jude Heartfilia_ ," Lucy's face cringed up at the name, like she'd just swallowed something foul. "Is a lot of things. A brilliant businessman, a cunning strategist, and one of the most powerful people in Fiore. What he _isn't,_ is a father. Long story short, I may be his daughter but we aren't family. Far as I'm concerned my family is my spirits and my guild."

It looked like that was all Lucy was going to say on the matter. Her pace increased, and Yukino struggled to keep up. Whatever had happened between her teacher and her father, this _Jude_ person, definitely wasn't pretty. Desperate for a change in subject, Yukino blurted out the first thing she could think of.

"Um, how about Fairy Tail? What's it like?"

Lucy perked up at the question, and Yukino let out a sigh of relief. Apparently Lucy's father was dangerous territory, and questions about her family were a no-go.

Her teacher talked animatedly about her guild, describing a place where family came first and rules were just guidelines to be ignored completely. She told stories about the missions she'd taken, most of them ending up with in a mess of collateral damage. A few people came up consistently in all of them. She was glad to hear about the young Dragon Slayer Wendy. Being in a guild sounded amazing, but she was worried that there'd be nobody near her own age.

It was easy-going through Crocus. Lucy told her stories about the good times she had in her guild, and Yukino focused on keeping up and listening. It wasn't too difficult. She'd gotten used to the weight of her luggage, and there wasn't anyone around to get in the way. _Wait, why isn't there anyone around?_ Yukino thought, looking around at the empty street stalls and barren stone walkways. _It's the middle of the day. This place is usually busy._

"Well, at least that's what it used to be like." Lucy said despondently. "Have you ever heard heard about what happened to Fairy Tail two years ago?"

Yukino snapped her attention back to Lucy. "Um, not really. Just that it was bad, right?"

Her teacher sighed, her cheer disappearing as rapidly as it had returned. "Bad's an understatement. Every one of our strongest- Oh shit."

Lucy's hand slammed down on her shoulder, halting her in place. Her hand trailed across her keys, and she muttering a stream of curses that would've had Sid blanching. Yukino whipped her head around wildly, searching for whatever had spurred the change. Then she saw them. Slinking out of nearby alleys, swaggering down the street in front of them, some even perched on the roofs of nearby buildings.

All around them, men and women poured into the street, jeering and laughing as they surrounded her and Lucy. And they all sported the same emblem. A skull with thorny branches entwined through it. The same people who'd tried to attack her the week before. Lucy pulled her close, and Yukino shivered nervously. All she knew how to do was open a box. That wouldn't be any use in a fight against a single mage, let alone the thirty-odd number stalking closer.

"Should've just handed the keys over quietly, blondie. You would've gotten to live." A familiar voice drawled from the crowd.

A bald headed man swaggered to the forefront of their attackers and Yukino sidled closer to Lucy. It was the same man who'd attacked her just a week ago.

"Shouldn't you be in prison," Lucy spat at him.

He just shrugged and gave them a crooked smile. "Prison's for idiots that don't know who to bribe. All it takes is a bit of Jewel, and some hapless guard may just _misplace_ his keys."

"Yukino," Lucy whispered, her mouth barely moving. "I'm gonna distract them. The second I do, take your keys and find a place to hide."

"Bu- but there's so ma-many. I can't-"

"Yes you can. Just trust- Duck!"

Lucy tackled her to the ground, just in time to avoid a pulse of magical energy that exploded behind them. Stone chips and debris peppered her face, but she didn't feel anything. Fear numbed the pain. Her ears rang from the explosion, but the garbled laughter of her assailants filtered through the whine.

Lucy leaped off the ground and knelt beside her, two keys appearing in her hands. She held one to the ground on the other over her head. A brilliant golden glow emanated from her teacher and a massive magic circle appeared beneath their feet. A rush of _something_ flowed off her, and Yukino stared slack-jawed as it washed over her. It was heavy, it was hot, but most of all it felt _angry._

"Close your eyes," Lucy growled almost silently. Yukino obeyed, for the first time feeling slightly scared of her teacher. "Now RUN!"

Even behind her closed eyes, Yukino saw what Lucy meant by distraction. A burning white light shined through her eyelids. All around her she heard yells and shouts as confusion descended through the Skull Rose ranks. A shove in the back sent her scurrying away from the Celestial Spirit Mage. She took a chance and cracked her eyes open.

Whatever her teacher had done, it lit up the entire street like a second sun. Her shadow swallowed up the nearest building as she sprinted to it for cover. In front of it was a small fruit stall, unmanned in the middle of the chaos. Yukino dove behind it as fast as her luggage would allow.

Too scared to think she unzipped her suitcase and grabbed her box. Her hand was on the lock and keys in her hand before she even realized it. She clutched them close to her chest, wishing she could do something more than just hide.

The seconds ticked by in what felt like hours. Sounds of breaking glass and shattering stone punctuated with grunts of pain flooded the air. Giant distorted shadows danced across the wall in front of her as the melee progressed. And slowly the light that Lucy summoned began to fade. The elongated shadows all disappeared, and the sounds of battle died down.

Yukino inched close to the edge of her stall, chancing a peek around the corner. The calm street corner looked like a warzone. The roofs were decorated with arrows, many sticking out of prone members of the dark guild. Divets and small craters turned the smooth street into a pock-marked wasteland. Oddly, many of the Skull Rose members were embedded into the ground, leaving only their heads visible. But not all of them.

In the middle of the destruction, a group of men and women stood in a tight circle. And held beneath them was Lucy. Yukino's heart dropped into her stomach. Her teacher had taken out most of the criminals, but a small group had managed to subdue her. But judging from the way they cradled their arms and heads, it hadn't been easy.

A woman raised a knife, intending to end the fight for good.

"Lucy!" Yukino shouted fearfully from her hiding spot. The group's heads turned and stared daggers at her. Lucy thrashed beneath them, but couldn't dislodge her captors. Under the brunt of those dead-eyed stares, Yukino froze up completely.

"Grab her," one of the men ordered, shoving a cruel looking woman towards her. "She's first. Make this bitch watch."

Her teacher bit down on the fingers covering her mouth, eliciting a shout of pain as the unfortunate man took his bloody fingers away.

"Run!" Her teacher screamed. She was silenced by a swift kick to her stomach. The woman stalked closer to Yukino. Her hand made an odd twisting motion in the air and a black magic circle appeared over her palm. Yukino didn't know very much about magic, but was certain of one thing. If that circle touched her she wouldn't be leaving.

It wasn't fair. For once, everything had been going right for her. She'd found her magic and a teacher. She'd gotten keys that she'd only ever dreamed of possessing. And she officially had a father again. And it was all going to be taken away just like that. Killed by a strange woman alone in the street.

 _Alone._ That wasn't right. Lucy told her Celestial Mages were never alone. And her keys were right there in her hands. It was a slim chance, but the only one she had. Desperate enough to try anything, Yukino reached inside herself for her magic. Maybe it was her fear, maybe the adrenaline, but it felt different. She found it instantly and instead of pushing back against her will the magic flowed to her hands eagerly, as though it were meant to go there in the first place.

She funneled everything she could into her keys. She wasn't even sure if it would do anything, but it was all she knew how to do. Blackness dotted her peripheries and her head swam with nausea, but the keys relentlessly pulled more and more out of her. She was vaguely aware of someone screaming her name, but it was drowned out in a rush of dizziness.

In front of her the woman slowed, a strange expression on her face. Yukino had seen it before, but never directed at her. It was the look people shot her Dad whenever he brought the full brunt of his stature out. The look the made before they went scurrying away with their tails between their legs. The woman looked _scared._

But it didn't stop her. She advanced, bringing the black circle closer and closer. _If you're there, please…_ The woman stood in front of her, bringing down her hand to strike her down.

"HELP!" The world turned silver, there was a crash and then everything spun into nothingness.

…

There were just too many. She was naïve to think there'd be no consequences for attacking a dark guild. Of course they would come for revenge. But She didn't think they'd bring the entire damn guild.

She managed to take many of them down before the light she'd summoned vanished. Sagittarius shot down the mages dotting the roofs, his arrows far more accurate than anything their blinded eyes could throw at her. And below Virgo swam through the earth, dragging mages down into the pavement itself.

Lucy laid about her with her whip, extending and retracting it with a thought. She dragged the Skull Rose members about by their necks and legs, slamming them against each other and sowing confusion in their ranks. But soon the light from her summoning faded. It was nothing more than her pouring more energy than necessary into opening the gates and it was bound to fade.

And with her cover gone the dark guild swarmed her. Magic blasted at her and her spirits from all directions. She felt her connection to them sever as they were forced to return to the Celestial Realm. She managed to get one more good kick between a gross smelling man's legs before she was tackled to the ground.

"You said this would be easy!" A woman holding her leg growled. "I didn't sign up for whatever the hell _that_ was."

"She only used one last time," another voice spat back. It was the acid mage rearing his bald head again. "You were holding out on me, blondie."

A hand covered her mouth, but Lucy still spat out every choice word she could at the man. The longer they were distracted with her the better chance Yukino had of getting away.

"Lucy!" _Oh Spirits, please no._ Yukino stood in plain view, petrified behind a fruit stall.

"Grab her," she heard baldie say. "She's first. Make this bitch watch."

She couldn't move, and her keys were out of reach. So she did the only thing she could. Lucy bit down as hard as she could on the fingers covering her mouth.

The taste of iron filled her mouth as her gag was hastily removed.

"Run!" She shouted. A boot slammed into her stomach, knocking the wind out her. All she could do was watch as a woman leisurely strolled towards Yukino.

It was happening again. She was going to lose someone else and there was nothing she could do. And then she felt it.

It was thin and ephemeral, but it was unmistakable. Pulsing off of Yukino was magic. Raw Celestial power flowed off the girl and for the first time Lucy saw the keys in her hands.

"Yukino stop!" She screamed. There was no way she'd survive summoning two spirits at once. But the magic just kept growing stronger and stronger. Piercing silver light began to emanate from her, bathing the Skull Rose woman who faltered at the new magic.

But she didn't stop. The woman raised her hand to strike down Yukino.

"HELP!"

With one word, the air around Yukino exploded into silver. A bright and soft bell rang across the street, different from the deeper boom that accompanied her own magic.

The woman was blown back into her captors, barreling into them and giving Lucy the chance to slip free. She leapt to her feet and sprinted towards her student, but saw she wasn't alone.

Her student was nearly unconscious, her eyes fluttering against the magic drain. And she was supported by a beautiful dark-skinned woman. Her face was covered by a shawl, leaving only her eyes visible. Black hair flowed over her shoulders and reached down her back.

But what struck Lucy were the scales attached to rings she wore on each finger. _Libra,_ Lucy thought wondrously. The spirit raised one hand imperiously and pointed behind Lucy.

Shouts of confusion echoed behind her, and Lucy turned to see one of the strangest sights she'd ever laid eyes on. Every Skull Rose member not entombed by Virgo was flying, no, _falling_ towards the location Libra pointed. They crashed together in an uncontrolled mass of flying limbs.

"Do not fail again, little Sun. She lives today, but luck will not be yours forever. You must become stronger." And with that, Libra gently laid Yukino down and disappeared in a flash of silver.

She'd failed. It hadn't even been a day yet and Yukino almost died twice. And the culprits were all gathered in one spot, completely disoriented. A sadistic smile spread over Lucy's face. There'd be time to be depressed later. But for now, she had some trash to get rid of.

Power radiated through her body. She was furious at Skull Rose for attacking them, frustrated at herself for not being able to fight back, and terrified that Yukino had nearly killed herself just to help. And she turned all those feelings into magic.

 _"Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens,"_ At her invocation magic flared, bathing the street in an ethereal golden glow. Her chant continued, and the space around her changed. The golden light from her magic turned brilliant shades of purple and green. Tiny pinpricks of light danced across it, illuminating her and casting the mass of Skull Rose members in a deep shadow.

All around her, stars of every color materialized. The buzzed and whirled with pure magic, the power begging to be released. Lucy gleefully obliged.

" _URANO METRIA_!"

…

Across Crocus, Sid sat outside his shop with a small bottle of whiskey. He hadn't drank since Yukino had come into his life, but he felt like today warranted it. He stared wistfully at the corner where Yukino had vanished. He knew she'd be fine. Lucy being aware enough to know she wasn't going to be perfect was enough to set him at ease.

He idly took a swig of his drink. _They should be to the station 'bout now. Hope Yukino didn't have too much trouble with her bag. Looked a little heavy. No, enough worrying. They'll be fine. She'll be fine._

Now Sid had never been one for magic. He preferred to settle things with a sword or his fists. But his wife was a mage, his daughter was going to be a mage, and he'd practically raised Layla. Over the years he'd developed a feeling for magic, Celestial Magic in particular. He was no expert, but he could recognize Lucy's magic after spending a week with her.

So when an overwhelming wave of magic washed over Crocus with Lucy's signature all over it, Sid was understandably concerned. He leapt to his feet, fully intending to race after them and help. Until he saw the result.

An enormous flash of white light illuminated the area in the direction of the station. He shielded his eyes against it, ducking down at its intensity. A shockwave quickly followed, rattling windows in their frames and setting all the neighborhood dogs barking. The light faded and he looked again.

Whatever Lucy had done, it must have been something spectacular. Dust rose up over the roofs of Crocus, and small pebbles and chips of pavement rained down even over his shop. It was destruction unlike Crocus had ever seen, and it sent everyone around him into a wild panic. She was definitely Layla's daughter.

Sid plopped down, suddenly exhausted. _Ah Spirits, I hope they'll be fine._ And he downed the rest of his bottle.

…

Lucy panted heavily, hands on her knees. Dust scratched at her throat as it billowed in a thick fog around her. She had meant to give Skull Rose a painful lesson never to mess with her again. She may have overdone it on the pain part though.

 _Didn't think I had that much in me,_ Lucy thought in amazement. The street where Libra gathered the Skull Rose members had simply ceased to exist. The next day rumors would fly about how a meteorite had crashed into town. Completely wrong, but not too far off from the truth.

Lucy trudged over to the stall where Yukino still lay. She still had her keys in a vice-like grip, and Lucy was relieved to see her slowly coming to.

"Yukino, you alright? Come on, how many fingers?" Lucy held three fingers up in front of the girl's face.

"Ni-nine?" Yukino answered weakly, shaking her head. "Wh- what happened?"

Lucy sighed, the adrenaline wearing off and letting magical exhaustion take it is place. Yukino was rattled, but she'd be fine. She just needed some rest.

"Well," Lucy put on her best disappointed voice and started counting off on her fingers. "First, you jumped out into the middle of the street after I _clearly_ told you to hide."

"Bu- but they were going to-," Yukino interrupted.

Lucy powered through, overriding the girl's objections. "Next, you didn't run away when they tried to attack you."

"But!"

"And finally you used a stupidly dangerous amount of magic, almost killed yourself and gave me the closest thing I've had to a heart attack in years."

Yukino hung her head in shame. Her shoulders jumped with muffled sobs as she tried not to let Lucy hear her. Lucy let the message sink in for a few more seconds before she couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed her student and pulled her into the biggest hug she could muster.

"You also summoned a Zodiac Spirit on your first try and totally saved my butt from those bastards. I said it before but I'm saying it again. You're amazing, Yukino!"

Yukino managed to extricate herself from the hug enough to look up at Lucy. Tears and snot ran down the girl's face, staining her cheeks red.

"So, _hic-_ you're not _hic-_ mad?" Yukino stammered out through her sobs.

"Mad?" Lucy laughed. "I'm furious! That was one of the dumbest, least thought through, all around most dangerous things I've ever seen!" Lucy squeezed her even tighter, laughing wildly at the familiar feeling. "Oh, you're gonna fit right in!"

"But seriously," Lucy continued. "Once we get on the train we're going to have a _long_ talk about magical responsibility. You could've died there, understand?"

Yukino nodded her head up and down, still buried against Lucy's chest. Lucy sat back and enjoyed the moment. Everything had gone wrong, but it still ended up all right. The bad guys were down, Yukino was safe, and she'd somehow used more magic than she'd ever done before. Nothing could possibly ruin this moment.

"Lucy?" Yukino mumbled into her shirt.

"Hm?"

"What happened to the street?"

"Over here!" A coarse voice shouted through the dusty haze. "It came from this street!" The thunderous drone of hundreds of metal boots penetrated the gloom. Metal-clad bodies began to swarm into the street, stopping in awe at the size of the crater Lucy had left. _The crater I left in the… Oh crap._

"All right, time to go!" Lucy shouted, hoisting Yukino and her luggage into her arms. "Magnolia here we come!"

"Wh-what? But aren't they the good guys?" Yukino managed to ask while being jostled around in Lucy's arms.

Lucy sprinted away from the damage, Yukino and her things feeling light as air. "Yukino, if there's one thing I've learned in my time at Fairy Tail, it's this."

"Hey! You there, stop!" A voice shouted, but Lucy paid it no heed. She ducked into an alley, summoning Aries behind her. An enormous wall of wool materialized in her pursuer's path, letting her safely jump into the next street and move towards the train station.

"You have to understand that as a mage, your actions affect others," Lucy said solemnly. "And there are times when you have to face the consequences of your actions."

She felt Aries disappear back into the Spirit World and redoubled her pace. The wall wouldn't last long.

" _This,_ Yukino, is not one of those times."

* * *

 **And we're done with Crocus! Lucy and Yukino are on their way to Magnolia, Yukino's summoned a spirit, and Lucy caused her first case of mass collateral damage! Good times all around. So yeah this chapter was the longest so far. I probably could've divided it up into smaller bits but frankly I just wanted to get to Magnolia already. Hope it doesn't feel like a text bomb exploded in your faces.**

 **A little about this whole arc. Initially Sid didn't even have a name. He was just gonna be the bland store owner who took Yukino in. But then when I was writing his conversation with Lucy (the end of chapter 3 through 4) he ended up with a backstory involving Celestial Magic. And I just kinda rolled with it. Eventually I came up with his relationship with Yukino. I tried to write it as pretty much the opposite of Lucy and her Dad's as the anime showed it. God knows if I succeeded but whateves. Yukino had enough tough breaks what with her village and all that, least I can do is give her a good father.**

 **There's another deviation from the canon in here (there will be many more as the story goes) involving Lucy's relationship with her father. After he went bankrupt he turned over a new leaf in the show. But here, his money's back as is his douchebaggery. More of that later. Also I really like using Stache-face as a swear word :D The thought of the Spirit King sitting on a throne wondering why Lucy keeps calling him that just makes me giggle.**

 **So see y'all next time when we find out what's been goin' down in Fairy Tail for the two years.**


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